Lady of the Sky
by Garnet-Moon
Summary: AU:FemTsuna has worked as a servant for all her life, but yearns to see the world outside its walls. Her life changes as a mysterious visitor comes seeking aid. Her home is attacked and Tsuna is thrown into a world of magic,warriors and the mafia. TsunaX?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 1

Tsuna groaned as the early morning sun began to rise above the land. There where times when she really hated it for being there. In the distance she could hear the clanging bell signalling breakfast for the servants and knew that if she was late her food would be fed to the dogs. She pushed herself up off the bed and rubbed her eyes. The food here was far from tasty but it was better then rooting through the rubbish pits for scraps. She swivelled around and put her feet on the cobbled floor, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. Her room was plain and small; the only things in it were a rickety bed, a small set of drawers and a good luck charm she had been given a couple of years ago.

She could hear the other servants beginning to wake next door, she better hurry for breakfast. Finding her spare set of clothes she quickly changed out of her sleeping gown and into her serving outfit: A black tunic with the family crest on the front, a white belt and a pair of shoes. The only thing different about her outfit to the others was an embroidered pattern round the cuffs, it was a ring of leaves which indicated that she worked for the castle's herb-woman, the healer Nataleya.

Quickly she walked out of her room and down the corridor, past all the servant bedroom doors until she came to the food hall. The cook was already handing out bowls of something and she didn't really want to know what the green and slightly twitching gunk was. It filled her stomach and that was that. There were already a few servants there and she could feel their eyes boring holes in her back. She took a deep breath and ignored the stares she had lived most of her life with.

She joined the back of the queue and idly played with her hair. Seriously, the only reason she was allowed to work for the healer was because she was rubbish at everything else; she couldn't clean or sew at all. When she tried to look after the dogs they chased her half way round the castle, heavy labour tired her out easily and she couldn't do the simplest tasks right. Sure she could cook alright but they hadn't let her near the kitchen since she had accidentally poured some sort of poisonous mushroom juice into the lords soup and well....the maids hadn't stopped glaring at her for weeks. She reached out for her bowl of...goo and turned around to find somewhere to sit. Luckily only some of the others where here so she was able to find an isolated seat with no-one to bother her.

Steeling her stomach she began to eat whatever was in front of her. You learned to eat what you got here, and again the stares didn't stop. A twinge of annoyance snapped inside of her.

"You'd have thought after 13 years they'd have realised what I looked like." She muttered to herself. She had arrived here with her mother 13 years ago when she was 3. Her mother, Nana, had been running from bandits that had destroyed her town somewhere in the West and asked for protection. The lord Sterk had given her it in return for becoming a servant to his household. Her mother had accepted and here they where. Well her mother was now one of the sewers and spent most of her time on the looms. Nana was never stared at. She guesses it was because of her tattoo and the fact that anyone associated with the healer was seen as odd. At the base of her neck there was a tattoo she'd had for as long as she could remember: it was a black V with flames twisting around it. As a child she had scrubbed her skin raw trying to remove it but to no avail the damn thing stayed on.

Her mother said it was something her father had done when she was small but that was all she knew. Tsuna could not remember her father and to be honest she didn't want to. Sure Nana would sometimes go off into a dream world and her cheeks would blush bright pink but Tsuna just could not find it in her to like the man who had abandoned herself and her mother to bandits. Whenever she said this to her mother, she would get angry and tell Tsuna that her father would not have left them without a good reason, then she would go back to blushing and giggling. Now Tsuna, loved her mother she was the only one outside of the healer who didn't seem creeped out by her or avoided her but the way Nana seemed so ready to forgive her no-show father really grated on her nerves.

The hall was starting to fill up now and the idle chatter of the servants created a noisy atmosphere. Tsuna was shy and much preferred to be on her own. Her bowl was nearly empty but she was going to finish off every last scrap of food. She rarely saw her mother these days, usually she was too busy helping the healer or gathering herbs or visiting the healer because she had fallen down the stairs again. It wasn't her fault she was the clumsiest girl on the planet.

She sighed and her eyes turned to the map that hung on the wall. There were 5 main countries in the world Italia, Japan, Inglaterra, Espana and Usa. Each had their own ruler and set of laws but they usually all managed to live in peace. Castle Magla was in Inglaterra. Her mother had come from Japan, near one of its main cities Namimori. Tsuna closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to travel across the world. In all her 16 years she had never set foot outside the village. But oh how she wanted to. Every time a story teller visited the castle she would push her way to the front and listen with a gaping mouth to stories of magic, warriors and the Mafia. The mafia was an organization that spanned across all 5 countries and was made up of different groups or "families". It was made up of warriors, healers, magic users, shape-shifters..everything. They fought with each other and families fought for different countries.

Tsuna could remember seeing some of the mafia from when she was about 6. _She had been running around the castle playing hide and seek with her bird, yeah she was a lonely child, and had found herself hiding in a cupboard in a fancy room. Now her 6-year old brain had not realised that she was actually sitting in the Lords study. She had been extra quiet when the door had opened and a man had stepped inside. She had peered out of the key-hole and had been able to make out a very tall men dressed all in black with a cloak covering his face. He had looked around the room for a minute then looked her straight in the eye, she had caught a glimpse of black eyes as sharp as steel and her heart had stopped beating for a second. Then from behind him the lord stepped in. She had known she was in trouble then. If he caught her hiding in his room she or her mother would be punished. Yet the strange cloaked man had not revealed her. She knew he had seen her yet he didn't mention anything to the lord._

_They had spoken about something but they were whispering so she couldn't hear all that he was saying but she caught a few words: assassin, contract, money and desperate. At the time they meant nothing to her, she had been too worried about being discovered. The lord had left something on the table and exited the room. Leaving her alone with the cloaked man._

_The second t he lord had shut the door he was over by the cupboard and opened the door. It had been so fast that she didn't see him move and as she had been leaning against the door she had been spent sprawling on the floor. As she had been sitting up the man spoke._

"_My, my don't you think it's dangerous for little children to be running around unsupervised?" The voice was soft and held a tinge of amusement. As she was 6 and the man hadn't told the lord who she was she had immediately looked him and smiled._

"_I was playing hide and seek with my friend Dai. I had to find the best place so he wouldn't find me."_

"_I see and the best place you could think of was in your masters study."_

"_Uh-huh. He'd never think to find me in here."_

"_Very clever little one but you should be more careful around me." She had cocked her head to the side and asked._

"_Why?"_

_He had smirked and she had felt a cold shiver shoot up her spine. "Because I'm a very dangerous man."_

"_You don't seem dangerous to me and you didn't tell the Lord where I was so you can't be all bad."_

_It had seemed like she had surprised him for a second and there had been silence between them. Before Dai had flown in chirping at her. She had giggled as he pecked her lightly on the head._

"_This bird is your friend?" he had spoken and she nodded eagerly._

"_Yeah Dai's my best friend, he doesn't point and whisper like the adults do, they tell their kids to stay away from me so I'm not friends with them. But I have Dai, and now you. You don't stare meanly either. You want to be friends?"_

_He had put a hand on her head and she had fallen silent, staring up at him with big brown eyes. He had smirked again, though it was less frightening._

"_You are the oddest child I've ever met, and you clearly have no sense of self-preservation do you?"_

_She had blinked at the strange word. "Self-preswervwation? What's that."_

_He had chuckled and patted her head. "Survival instinct. Anyway I have to go now." He had stood to leave but she had grabbed onto his hand. He had turned back to her and she pouted._

"_You didn't answer my question. Will you be my friend?" _

_There was a silence then. "You won't stop until I say yes will you?" Grinning she had shook her head. He had sighed._

"_Very well then." She had missed the amusement in his voice and had started jumping up and down. He led her from the room and back to the servant quarters with her babbling in his ear. At the door he had leant down and reached into his cloak before pulling out a charm: It had been a woven ring with a pentacle inside._

"_Here this will bring you luck, which you'll need since you seem to be foolish and have no sense of survival." He had pressed it into her hands and turned to leave._

_She had waved goodbye, he turned and waved back._

She had never seen him again and had later figured out that he must have been part of the mafia. Stil she remembered him fondly as her first official "human friend". Dai was old now but still followed her everywhere, and the charm was still hanging on her wall.

Breakfast was over and it was time to clean up. She brought her bowl over to the counter and handed it to a kitchen maid. Scraping her hair back into a bun she headed for the door to see what the healer wanted her to do today. She caught a glimpse of herself in the wall mirror and stared at her reflection: medium height, with an average frame and a slightly big chest she wasn't anything special. Her hair was brown and was usually loose and fell a couple of centimetres pas her shoulders. Her eyes were a little too wide and her face was average. She didn't look any different from anyone else so why was she the odd one out?

Heaving a sigh and shaking off self-pity she began to ascend the tower to where the healer worked. Little did Tsuna Sawada know it was the beginning of a while new chapter in her life.

**AN: OK this is my first anime fanfic so I'm not sure If I've wrote it right or not. Please tell me what you think and all advice will be appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 2

Soon enough she came to the healers door: A plain wooden door but it had a spring of ivy twisted around the doorknob. As normal she knocked on the door and waited to be allowed entrance. The healer was the only one who lived in the tower and various plants and weeds had laid siege to it, so roots and leaves had burrowed through the cracks. The other servants avoided this place like the plague. For Tsuna it was one of the few places where she actually felt like a human not a freak.

"Come in Tsuna." the voice called from the other side of the door. She started and shook her head. Another reason why she wasn't suited for anything else; her concentration powers were zero. Too often her mind would wander elsewhere, like when she had been cooking the meat for the lords lunch; her mind was wondering what it would be like to fly, fly high and view the land from above. Long story short she had nearly burned the house down.

She pushed the door opened and stepped inside. The healers room was at least three times the size of hers but a complete tip. Stacks of books piled high to the ceiling various plants and jars littered shelves and the desk. There was a faded tapestry on the wall and her ever faithful cat was sprawled out on the bed snoring. Despite the mess Tsuna loved being here it was different to everywhere else and she had never felt scared of Nataleya, except for that slightly traumatic incident a couple of years ago when one of her "experiments" had tried to eat her. I mean seriously, who goes around crossing a wolf with a rose!

"Good morning mistress." She bowed slightly. There she was Nataleya Dubra looking out of her window. She must have been about 30 and was quite an impressive figure. Tall with a curtain of dark blue hair that fell to her back she was dressed in green robes and the silver chain around her arm which showed she was the head healer of the castle and its surrounding lands. No-one was sure where she had came from, only that she had arrived here 5 years ago in the middle of a storm. She had appeared before the lord and had cured his wife of the pox. The lord had set her up as the castle healer. Shortly after she had taken Tsuna under her wing.

Tsuna had been 11 and the staff were getting annoyed at her because she couldn't do anything. They had been contemplating selling her to the farm workers as even she could carry sacks of grain but Nataleya had chosen her to be her assistant. Tsuna had learned a lot; she could brew a reasonable number of salves and potions, her knowledge of herbs was good and could deal with simple injuries or diseases. There had been a time when she wished to be Nataleya's successor but that hope had been crushed when she had been told that a healer had to use magic. She could become a medicine woman but not a healer. There wasn't any magic in her veins. Which meant her future was still unsure. If she couldn't replace her teacher what else was there for her.

"Tsuna, you are staring at that snake a little too much." She blinked and shook her head.

"I'm terribly sorry healer my mind was elsewhere."

Her teacher turned with a smile. "I could see that." She smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress. "As you know tonight there is to be a feast to honour Lord Sterk's son safely return from the battlefield."

Actually Tsuna had forgotten, unlike some of the others here her life did not revolve around the Lord and his family. Her life revolved around her mother and this woman here. Tsuna didn't consider herself lonely but there were times when she wondered what it would be like to have friends. Realising she was drifting away again she returned her attention to her teacher.

"I am aware of this most joyous occasion." In her opinion the lords son was a narcissistic jerk who took everything for granted. His name was Mochida and the further away she was from him the better.

"Yes and as such all the servants have been granted the night off to celebrate. After they've served the dinner of course."

"Of course." Heaven forbid they have a full night off.

"Today the steward needs someone cleaning the kennels and as I do not need you for today I volunteered your help."

All the colour drained from Tsunas face. "Are you sure there isn't anything you need me for?" Nataleya shook her head.

"I could collect some more heather, or trim the weeds growing around the castle. What about mixing potions I thought you were running low on the bruise ointment?"

"I am."Her face brightened. "But that can wait until tomorrow." Sad face was back.

"B-B-But."

"No buts Tsuna. An old friend of mine is visiting today and I would like some privacy. You are still a servant and the castle needs to be prepared. I expect you as my assistant to do whatever the steward tells you."

Her shoulders dropped and she began to mentally prepare herself for facing the hounds. Then a thought struck her.

"Mistress you've never mentioned this old friend before." A smile appeared on Nataleyas face.

"Always so curious Tsuna, its one of the reasons why I chose you as my student. Anyway my friend is none of your concern, I have known him most of my life and he needs my help with something. I believe the steward wanted you to start cleaning immediately."

It was a clear dismissal and Tsuna bowed before leaving. Once the girl had left Nataleya returned to staring out the window. The courtyard spread out below her and she could see the houses of the villagers stick up against the horizon. Her eyes darkened as she got lost in her memories. The last time she had seen him there had been fire and screams that still haunted her dreams. He had sworn to only come to her if he was in dire need.

"What do you want Fon?"

_----------------------------------------------------Line break-------------------------------------------------------------_

Tsuna hated the dogs at Castle Magla. They were bloodthirsty, half feral and she was sure they knew she didn't like them. So trying to clean a smelly, cramped and incredibly dirty kennel while said dogs were growling at you was not one of her favourite things to do. It wasn't made any better by the old animal keeper who stood at the back and surveyed her work. Well if "surveying" meant staring at her bum for an hour then he was doing his job very well. She was going to have a long bath tonight.

For the rest of the day she had to tidy up the kitchen (she dropped 3 pans on various feet), help hang up some paintings on the wall (one of which she nearly ruined) and run errands for the steward (where she must have tripped over her feet at least every 20 steps). All in all by the time evening rolled around her temper was a little frayed. Her last job was to take some tea up to the healers room.

So once again she climbed to the top of the tower and came to the door. But because of her foul mood she forgot to knock and walked straight in.

"I've brought the tea you as-" she trailed off as she realised that it was not her mistress that was sat on the bed.

It was a small child. His hair was black and tied back in a braid and he had very dark eyes. He was wearing a red uniform of some kind that covered his arms and legs. Yet her first reaction was not to melt and try to cuddle him (she had a slight soft point for kids). There was something different about the boy, the way he held himself, his eyes had seen way more than they should have and there was something old about him. She was immediately on guard. Magic was rare in this part of the world but in other places it was extremely common, there even those who could change their shapes; become animals on a whim. There were also warriors those who dedicated their lives to fighting and were masters of war. Things weren't always as they appeared and she believed it would be a mistake to underestimate this "child".

"Ahh I see you have brought my tea. Thank you." She blinked not used to politeness. Hastily she set the tray down and did a slight bow. He took a sip from the cup and put it back on the tray. Those wise eyes turned to her again.

"You must be Nataleyas student. She has told me about you."

Tsuna felt completely out of her depth. The guests at the castle never spoke to the servants. Wait didn't her mistress say she had known her friend for most of her life? But this boy couldn't be more than 4.

"Uhh. I'm more of an assistant than a student. Sir." She replied unsure if she should say anything. He continued to stare at her.

"Well she speaks about you as if you were." She gave a small smile and turned to go.

"Wait." She looked back.

"What is that mark on your neck?" Colour rushed into her cheeks and her hand went to the tattoo on instinct.

"It's nothing. I've had it there for as long as I can remember." She stared pointedly at the wall.

"Are you sure you aren't her student?" Tsuna was confused at the repeated question.

"Yes. I can't do magic so I can't be her student at least not a full one." He nodded in understanding.

"Well thank you for the tea, Sawada." He bowed in her direction and she went frantic.

"No! No! A guest should not bow to a servant. It's not right!" Her hands were waving in the air and her eyes had gone wide with shock. He smiled and closed his eyes.

Flustered she left and closed the door behind her. Letting out a breath she began to climb down the staircase. The steward would undoubtedly have another task for her to do when she got back.

_----------------------------------------------------Line break-------------------------------------------------------------_

Fon stared after the girl as she left the room. He knew that mark, most of the people in the Mafia would recognise that mark. But why was she here? It made no sense. That and the fact that she said she was unable to use magic. That was a lie. He had sensed her power the second she had stepped inside. Like a bright beacon, but restricted as if something was stopping her from using it.

A pain flared up in his chest and he winced. Those hunters had excellent aim. His mind turned to his own student and he wondered where she was and hoped that she was able to evade her pursuers. She was skilled but so were his enemies. He returned his gaze to the window. They would be here soon so this would have to be a short visit. He couldn't bring trouble to Nataleya, not after how hard she had to work in order to escape the world.

"I see you have met Tsuna." He gave a small smile. He never could sense her movements. He turned to face her.

"Yes I have and you my friend have some explaining to do.

_----------------------------------------------------Line break-------------------------------------------------------------_

Finally she could relax. The feast had been served and the servants were free to do as they pleased. Jugglers and dancers performed in the courtyard and their were one or two magic users doing tricks to out-stand everyone. Mochida was showing off to some of the maids who were fawning all over the master son. Disgusting.

She was sitting in a darkened corner of the garden, her fingers fiddling with her good luck charm that she had taken from her room. The light played over the pattern and she smiled at the memory of her first friend. Did he ever think of her? She'd never even found out his name. A noise pierced through her reflections and she looked up to see a hail of arrows head towards the castle.

**AN: I really wanted to get the second chap for this up. My main worry is writing OOC so if I do that please tell me. I'm not really sure on how to use suffix's like -san or -kun so I'm going to leave them out for the time being. As for the pairing this will neither be yaoi or yuri (I can't write either) But I'm still not sure who she's going to be with. So if you have any ideas please tell me. As for Lambo and I-pin, I'm not sure if they should be 15 or 5. Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 3

Time seemed to slow down. The beat of her heart thudded in her ears and she couldn't tear her eyes from the incoming arrows. Tsuna was dimly aware of someone screaming a warning, but the arrows just got closer and closer. Everything else was wiped from her mind, except for one word; No. It seemed that those seconds would last for hours and everybody would have time to escape. But then she blinked and the arrows hit. Screams of pain and horror rang out into the night, men yelled out orders but they were lost amongst the confusion of the atmosphere.

Shapes blurred her vision as people raced across the courtyard trying to do something, another wave of arrows hit and black figures appeared on the wall. Tsuna couldn't move; fear choked her and the muscles in her legs and arm went stiff. The panic was drowning her, terror and disbelief clawed at her mind. Was she going to die? What about the guard? Who was attacking? Why? Was it all-? Suddenly someone pushed her to the floor as they raced by. The jolt broke her out of that helpless trance and she quickly rose to her feet.

The invaders had begun to scale the walls and the lords guard were trying to fight them off but they were quickly being overwhelmed. She could hear shouts from other areas of the castle and realised that they were surrounded. If she remembered correctly there was a tunnel that lead from the main hall to the edge of one of the villages; it had been built years ago an was sometimes used for transport when bandits roamed the roads. There was a hatch under the carpet. If she could get to that then she should be fine. But first she had to find her mother.

Spinning around she ran inside like the hounds of hell were biting at her heels. Nana had said something about watching the celebration from her room as she had come down with a cold. Tsuna fervently prayed that the attackers hadn't made it that far yet. It was clear from the noises of panic echoing around the building that the lords men were loosing. But for now all she could focus on was finding her mum.

A giant crack signalled that the gate had been breached; which meant that they would reach the hall soon. Where on earth was the healer? Surely Nataleya would have heard the fighting. On her way to the rooms for the higher servants she passed more soldiers scrambling in different directions there faces confused and scared; they hadn't joined the guard for this. Castle Magla was in the middle of nowhere the nearest place that could be called a town was about 30 miles east, there were a few hamlets and villages in the area but nothing major. Nowhere from where they could call for help.

A sudden yell caught her attention and foolishly she stopped. So did her heart. Standing in the middle of the corridor were 4 men. They were covered in blood, which covered their dark blue armour. One of them held a bow in his arms; the symbol of the Trat (an elite group of archers) on his chest. The others held weapons varying from swords to axes. In the dim light Tsuna couldn't make out any of their features, but she could sense their eyes on her. Later she would berate herself for wasting time but in that moment she was paralysed.

"Well, well look what we have here."

"A little mouse trying to run away."

"Can't let that happen can we. She might provide some fun for us later."

"Try to control your libido idiot. You know the orders. Find the brat and the woman and make sure there are no survivors."

"Aww you never let me enjoy a job. Sure the boss won't mind if we take one for a souvenir."

"No survivors means no one. Besides she might kill you when you pass out from drinking too much"

"Such a waste. She might have been able to last a bit."

Tsuna had listened with increasing horror to their conversation. Her mind began to race again: Who were they searching for? An image of Fon popped into her mind but she dismissed it, what on earth would they want with a child? Besides she had more pressing concerns, for example the biggest of the warriors, and the one who had spoken, was advancing towards her with a black axe gripped in his hands. She began to back up into the wall praying for someone to come, for this madness to stop, for it all just to be a dream. The cold stone of the wall made her realise that no-one was coming for the freaky tattooed servant.

The soldiers hot breath stank and sent shivers of disgust and fear down her back. His eyes trailed up and down; examining her like a piece of meat.

"It really is a waste. Look you can make this a lot easier on yourself. You can tell us where the brat is now and get a quick blow from my axe or you stay quiet and find out just how effective our torturers are. You seem like a smart girl so tell us. Where's the brat and don't give me any crap about him not being here. Our trackers are never wrong."

They were here for Fon. Tsuna gulped at the choices before her. What was she going to do? They were going to kill her anyway should she try and protect Fon? She flinched back when the mans hand stroked her cheek. So this was how her life would end, scared and alone, butchered by these brutes. She opened her eyes and stared at them.

"I don-" Before she could finish the sentence a hand grabbed her throat and she coughed.

"Wrong answer." He growled and pulled away from the wall. In a second he was screaming in pain and the hand was wrenched from her neck.

Gasping she fell back on the floor and found herself staring at the back of a child. Dressed in red. Her eyes widened in recognition.

"Four of you attacking one servant girl. It seems the depravity of your master has reached new lows." his voice was calm yet Tsuna caught a subtle undertone of anger. Her eyes travelled to the man who had grabbed her throat. He was writhing in agony clutching his arm, which was now bent at an odd angle and all his fingers were broken. Fon had been lightening fast and had probably crippled him in a second.

"You bastard! He's destroyed my arm!" he screamed and reached for a knife with his other arm. The other 3 stood in battle stances with their weapons out and a kind of unholy triumph in their eyes.

"I knew you couldn't resist helping an innocent." The man with the sword was clearly the leader and smiled evilly at the child. "The best hand to hand combat fighter in the world let down by his own foolishness. The girl is nothing yet you are going to die for her."

Tsuna sat there stunned. The best what in the world, did her mistress know this? Fon did nothing but stand there. The leader sneered.

"Not going to prattle off another lesson. Pity, we could have taught your student when we found her. What the hell are you smiling for arcobaleno?"

"Your remark implies that you have not caught I-pin yet. I'm glad."

"Save your happiness, you will not see her in this life."

As one the three charged forward, the archer stringing an arrow and firing it at fon's head. Tsuna couldn't close her eyes to the massacre she was sure would soon happen.

In a leap Fon grabbed the arrow and threw it straight back at the archer wounding his arm. He kicked off the wall and kicked the other soldier in the gut. A weird aura seemed to surround him it was red and violent; A wind seemed to appear from nowhere and knocked the soldier into his wounded comrade. The man with the sword dodged a kick and brought the blade down in a powerful swing. With one hand Fon pushed the sword away and with the other delivered a crashing punch to the face. Turning around his eyes met Tsuna's and once again she was struck by the wisdom in them.

"Go. This side of the castle has been evacuated. The soldiers here will not be able to win against these warriors."

Snapping back to reality Tsuna shook her head. "No way I can't leave my mother here and what about Nataleya?"

His eyes glowed red for a second. "Your mother is probably safely outside and Nataleya can easily beat any of these attackers."

Another soldier ran at them yelling but was quickly dispatched by Fon with a chop to the neck.

"You don't have much time Miss Sawada, you must go." Again Tsuna shook her head.

"I'm sorry but I have to know if my mother is alright." She turned to go when a strong but small arm grasped her hand.

"Miss Sawada, this attack is merely the beginning of something terrible. Something that has the power to destroy the 5 lands. It is key that you survive." There was a slightly pleading note to his voice.

"B-but why?" He shook his head.

"I am not the one to tell you but leave this place there is no more you can do here." He reached down and picked up her charm which had fallen to the floor. For a second she thought she saw surprise on his on his face but it was gone so quickly she must have imagined it.

"Take this with you." He thrust into her hands and dealt with another oncoming soldier. Broken from his stare Tsuna looked around her at the bodies that littered the floor. Injured by a child. Was this what the world outside was like? Her head started to shake in denial. She had to find her mother. Fon must have seen it in her eyes.

"I'm sorry but...I have to find her." She backed off down the hall turned and ran. Trying to ignore the pandemonium around her. Men cried out; left for dead on the floor. Blood pooled on the stones and Tsuna felt ill. This wasn't her life. She mentally cursed herself as she felt her legs tiring, why hadn't she kept in better shape.

Bursting into the hall her eyes took in the sight of the fighting. Men shifted into animals and mauled the guard. Mages chanted spells under their breath and weapons clashed amongst the fray. Her mothers quarters where on the other side of the room. Tsuna stuck to the walls desperately hoping that she would not be noticed by either side. The hall was only lit by torches and an occasional spell would light up the room but it was still pretty dark. The wall behind her exploded with wall of fire and she was thrown forward into the battle. Looking back she saw more fighting and heard more screams as soldiers poured into the room from the hole in the wall.

Deciding to go with speed rather than stealth she ran across the hall closing her eyes. She could have cried when she felt the wood of the door beneath her hands. Pulling it open she slipped through.

Finally she was here. "Mother! Mother!" Her voice bounced against the halls as she ran down to her mothers room. Miraculously this area seemed free of battles and her heart leapt. Maybe her mother would be fine. Soon she cane to her mothers door and pulled it open to find...nothing. Tsuna blinked. Once. Twice. As if she didn't believe what she was seeing. The room was in perfect condition. The bed was made, there wasn't any rubbish on the floor or on the cupboards, the loom was gone.

She froze, the loom was gone. That old loom which looked like it would break after each use, but Nana adored it, had gone and the only possible explanation would be that her mother had taken it with her. When she had left. A denial screamed inside Tsuna's head. Her mother wouldn't h ave left, wouldn't have abandoned her daughter to the invaders. Frantic she ripped apart the room looking for some sign of her mother. The servant clothes were still there but any mementos or personal items her mother had had were gone. Like they'd never been there. Nana had gone, and left Tsuna behind.

Betrayal, hurt, confusion drowned her and she couldn't breathe. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor on her knees. Eyes wide but not seeing anything. Memories replayed over in her head of her mother: laughing, playing, teaching, loving. The noises outside didn't matter now. One of her most important people had disappeared and left. She felt numb and her mind went blank. Unable to deal with the feelings and situation she buried into herself. Trying to escape her nightmare.

She didn't hear the mage chant a spell. Didn't see the clouds start to circle and twist. Didn't feel the wind whip round and round her as the tornado descended to the ground. Her hands were clenched so tight they drew blood yet she didn't care. All she wanted was for this to end. All she wanted was-

"TSUNA!" A body slammed into hers and she was pushed onto the floor. Startled her eyes took in the face of:

"Mistress?" She couldn't believe it. She was sure the healer would have gone too. Left her like-

"Tsuna we have to go now." Her body reacted on instinct to the command and she stood up.

The healer looked around at the empty room and sighed. Tsuna took in her mentors appearance: the once spotless gown was spattered with mud and blood, part of it was torn, her hair was messy and unruly yet she seemed calm and in control.

Nataleya saw the mess that was her student. The girl looked like she was going to faint. She pitied the poor girl, and knew that nothing prepared someone for their first battle, the first time you see people you know struck down. But now was not the time for comfort.

"Fon can only hold them back for so long. We must move quickly." She left without so much as a backward glance. The numb girl followed not looking back and trying to cope with a scarred heart. They made there way down to the gardens.

"There is a second exit here that we can use. Much safer than the tunnel. I made it myself." Tsuna clung to her teachers words, they offered a kind of normality when her life was falling down around her. The crescent moon looked down on them as they came to the fountain standing in the middle of the flowers.

Tsuna watched as Nataleya put her hands together and began to whisper words.

_By the moon's eye still shining bright_

_I summon spirits into a mortal state,_

_To guide me to the way of light_

_and to command thee to open the gate._

A light shot out of the circular fountain and the stone cracked as it fell apart. Splitting to reveal a glowing oval of silver something that glinted in the dark. She turned to the healer who seemed tired and worn out.

"There she is." Once again her hart stopped as she heard more voices heading for them. Nataleya turned around and cursed. Tsuna soon saw why. About 5 men were coming to them one of them already chanting something. She stepped back towards the thing her mistress had summoned. But Nataleya didn't move.

"So we found you she-witch. Finally after 5 years we've got you and this time you will not escape." As one the came at her teacher. Without a word Nataleya put her hand up in the air and it began to glow silver in the dark.

For a second there was silence, then with a yell she punched the ground and the earth split apart as black and white shapes sprung from the ground. Tsuna caught sight of something with wings and stepped back again, hating herself for not helping.

Nataleya seemed unstoppable whenever she hit a man with her glowing he would fall to the ground and lay there. The creatures she had summoned swarmed around her tearing the attackers apart and she could hear them shrieking. For a few moments it seemed like she would defeat them all when suddenly she cried out and Tsuna saw a knife sticking out of her back it faintly glowed of magic. Blood poured out of the wound and her mistress fell to her knees.

"No!" She yelled and ran forward not paying attention to what else was going on. She would not lose her other precious person. She couldn't. Going on to her knees she grabbed her hand.

"Mistress, please you can't.."

"We all have a time Tsuna and I've been running from this for far too long.." Her eyes flicked over to the men fighting off her creatures. "Tsuna you have to live."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" the girl whispered her eyes darkening.

"Because you must. You are far more important than you realise. Leave this place and got to Namimori, there you will find it."

"I don't understa-."

"There is no time. Go there promise me." Tsuna couldn't refuse that serious look on her face.

"I will." Nataleya smiled.

"Good. There is one more thing." With a shaking hand She placed a finger on Tsuna's forehead and a small flame appeared. Teacher met the students gaze.

"_I undo the barrier._

_Let her power shine."_

Something broke inside Tsuna. It felt like she was standing in the middle of a fire-storm. The heat burned and she wanted to cry out but her mouth remained close.

"Tsuna." Nataleyas voice was fading and Tsuna grabbed her hand as if she was trying to keep her there. "I'm sorry. One day I hope you can forgive me."

Confusion once again crossed her face and she opened her mouth to speak when a wave of wind yanked her away and with one last cry she fell into the portal.

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm not sure if this is a good chapter or if the fight scenes were any good so please tell me. I know Tsuna seems pathetic but she gets stronger don't worry. More characters next time. BTW if any of you have an idea for a type of fighter or magic users I could put in please tell me because my imagination is running a little slowly lately. Chapters will not usually be this long, at least I don't think so I just write what comes into my head and updates will be more spaced out. Thank you for reading and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 4

Colours. All she could see was a vast spectrum of colours. They blinded her but she couldn't shut her eyes. They flashed; bright and dark, swirled together forming a vortex almost like a whirlpool. There was no noise except the rhythmic beat of her heart against her chest. All she could do was stare at the colours. Suddenly they became almost violent. Warping with each other and shooting off in sharp spikes. In the centre a white light appeared; a void of colour. It seemed to swallow up her vision. Tsuna wondered if this was what people meant when they saw they saw a "bright light" when they died. Was she dead? She didn't think she was but she couldn't move or speak. But her heart was beating. Great. Reduced to arguing with herself over whether she was alive or not. She felt a vague pulling from the white light and a spot of black appeared in the centre. It expanded and she was finally able to close her eyes. Courage once again failing her.

With an "OOF!" She fell onto something solid, and hard. Ground? Praying it was she opened one eye to find herself staring at...mud. With a laugh Tsuna pushed herself up, not caring that her clothes were torn covered in mud, blood and tears. She was alive. For a few minutes she had been certain that she would die; as if it had been written in stone but she was still here. The joy however was soon turned into something else. She was alive but her mistress wasn't.

The grief that tore at her heart forced her to her knees and was followed quickly by self loathing. Tsuna couldn't escape the feeling that.

"I should have done; something." her voice came out small and quiet with a slight quiver. In her minds eye she saw her teachers last moments. The defeat in her eyes and the tone of her voice. Why hadn't she done anything. Tears began to form in her eyes and Tsuna wiped them away furiously. No she would cry no more tonight. Her teacher had made her promise to go to Namimori so she would.

Closing her eyes Tsuna shut away the feelings of sorrow and betrayal. She had to be practical and crying on the ground was not going to help anyone,it only might make her feel a little better. Now where was she. Taking a look around she recognized..nothing! Her head turned left and right searching desperately for some sign of civilisation. But no she was surrounded by trees! Was there a forest nearby, she was sure there was at least one in Inglaterra but maybe she was in a different country. Namimori was in Japan and. Oh why hadn't she paid more attention in geography classes. She pulled her hair in frustration then took a deep, long breath. OK if she just walked in one direction she had to find someone or some town eventually.

Now which way to go. Her eyes darted left and right. Neither side looked particularly inviting. On the one side it was dark, there were brambles and stank really bad. From the other side she could hear weird noises and there were white strings from the trees. Taking a cautious step towards them a rabbit jumped in front of her and hit one of the nearest strings. Instantly a giant spider dropped down. Grabbed the rabbit, bit into it and crawled back up again with the now still rabbit. All of which happened in 5 seconds. Leaving one wide eyed girl standing on her own.

"Maybe I should go the other way." She squeaked before spinning around and running towards the darker side, before tripping over her own feet.

The shoes on her feet were not made for the rough and uneven ground of a forest. They were falling apart on her feet. Eventually her run slowed to a walk as her fear diminished, but she still jumped at every sound. All she focused on was getting out of the forest because if she thought about what had happened to her she would have probably just sat there crying like the useless person they all thought she was.

So she walked, and walked, and walked some more. Her legs began to shake with strain and exhaustion. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch and her throat was dry. To make it worse she had a sinking feeling that she wasn't anywhere near the edge of this cursed wood. With a groan she pushed some branches out of her face and took another step forward. Only to freeze a second later.

Tsuna had stepped into a clearing. In the middle their lay a dead deer; sprawled out on the grass. But that wasn't what caused her to freeze. No what shocked and terrified her was the pack of wolves gathered around the deer, eating it. Praying that they hadn't heard her she took a step back. A crack pierced the silence and all the colour drained from her face as realization sunk in. She had stepped on a twig. One of the wolves stopped eating and saw her. Instantly it went down on its hunches and growled at her. The others looked up and did exactly the same. The leader jumped forward and bared its teeth, its sharp, white and stained red with blood teeth. They got closer and closer.

Instinct overcame logic. She turned and ran. With a howl they started to chase after her. She ran in a state of panic, not seeing where she was going or caring that her legs were weak from walking. The growls of the wolves were close behind her so she didn't bother looking back. Hopelessness filled her. She couldn't run forever and her legs would definitely give out before theirs. Her eyes began to shut with defeat, maybe she should just give up now.

The image of her teacher shot through her mind. No. She had made a promise, and she was going to keep it no matter what. She hadn't survived the attack just to be dinner for a pack of wolves. Resolve overcame defeat; she would not die today. Unknown to her an orange glow began to cover her body. For a second it looked like she was on fire. Her legs felt stronger and she actually began to pull away from the wolves slightly. The mark on her neck began to burn.

Just as she was sure that she would survive reality kicked in and she was sent stumbling onto the ground. In an instant she was surrounded by the predators each growling at her. She stared at them in terror as one lunged at her neck. Again time seemed to slow. She saw it all; the black of its fur, the hunger in its eyes and the sharpness of its teeth. It was an image that would be engraved on her memory.

A sharp noise went off and the wolf was thrown of its course by something and crashed onto the floor. Stunned Tsuna raised her head. The once snarling wolves were now whimpering and crouching down. Slowly, so as not to startle them, she turned to look at what had frightened them this much. From out of the trees stepped an old man. She blinked once. He was wearing plain black trousers and long sleeved black top with simple working shoes. There was a satchel hanging round his shoulders. In one hand he carried a long cane with a decorated top. He had a soft smile on his face and he looked normal at least until she realised that the top of his cane was flaring a bright orange. A magic user. What kind she didn't know. Instinctively She scrambled back. The sight of that flame brought back things she had been trying to forget.

"My, my. What's a young girl doing out here all alone in theses dangerous woods?" His voice was nice and calm. He sort of reminded her of a grandfather. Her throat was so dry that she couldn't speak only croak. He stared down at her.

"A little hoarse I see. Let me see if I have any-ah here we go." He reached into his bag and pulled out a water-skin. He held it out to her but she didn't take it; natural feelings of shyness and caution take it over. He only smiled again.

"Worried. Don't be. I do not want to hurt you young one." He took a swig of water and held it out to her. "See, it's perfectly safe." Thirst overpowered caution and tentatively she reached out to take the water. Slowly she took a drink keeping one eye on her rescuer the whole time. Her throat cried out in relief as the cool water soothed her burning thirst. When she had finished she handed it back to the man. He put it back in his bag and turned to look at her again. Realizing how ungrateful she must seem; she stood up and gave a slight bow.

"Thank you sir." Her voice was nearly inaudible but he heard it anyway.

"You're very welcome Miss?"

"Sawada,Tsunayoshi Sawada or Tsuna for short."

"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Timoteo. I was just having a walk through the woods when I stumbled across you."

Tsuna still watched his glowing cane. He waved his hand over it and the flame disappeared. She looked at him with confusion and he shrugged.

"Just a little trick to scare off the wolves I assure you." She nodded. His eyes trailed over her bleeding feet and torn clothing.

"There's a little village not far from here. Would you please come with me so we can find someone to take a look at your feet?" Tsuna saw the damage on her feet for the first time: her shoes had fallen off during her run which meant that the bare skin had been cut and bruised by the floor. It looked painful and it was. She turned to the old man again. Could she trust him? He didn't seem dangerous but neither had Fon. Either way he clearly knew the way out of the forest and something told her she should go with him.

"OK." She said. He beamed.

"Good. Do you think you can walk for a little bit?" She took a couple of experimental steps. It was sore but she could walk. She nodded to his question.

"Let's be off then." He started walking at a slow and easy pace and she followed behind him.

As they walked Tsuna desperately wanted to ask him some questions but didn't want to appear rude, so she began fiddling with her hands. Looking up at him she wasn't sure what to make of this old man. He seemed trusting, nice and normal. Yet there was something more about him. She couldn't quite explain it. His eyes were sharp and knowledgeable and the way he walked was like that of a lord or king; someone completely confident in themselves.

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" His voice startled her and her cheeks flushed red at being caught.

"I-I was just wondering if you could tell me where we are?" She said. He blinked down at her.

"Well we are currently in the forest that separates Japan and Italia. Rather beautiful isn't it?" He looked down at her and paused at the look on her face. It was made up of confusion, fear, anxiety and a little bit of wonder.

"I-Italia and J-Japan?" Tsuna couldn't believe it. She knew magic was powerful but never had she imagined that it could transport her from one country to another. Her mind went back to the map on the wall. She was so far from home. But home was probably gone by now. Cutting off that thought she focused on walking, and didn't ask any more questions.

In a few minutes they came to the forest edge and Tsuna nearly wept in relief at the sight of a group of buildings nestled in the hillside. There were a couple of people working in farms and a stream ran through the village. As they got closer a few of the farmers turned to stare at them and she walked closer to Timoteo. The old man seemed unperturbed at the attention. They approached the biggest building and went inside. A middle aged woman came to greet them.

"Hello there. What can I do for you?" Timoteo dipped his head.

"I would like to book a room for my friend here." Tsuna stared up at him in shock. She thought they were going to a healers. The woman turned her stare on Tsuna and she froze.

"My my she's a skinny thing isn't she? I've got room for her."

"Good and could you please fetch the village healer or someone who knows how to treat wounds." Again the woman nodded. "Excellent we'll wait in her room for them."

"First door on your left when you go up the stairs."

"Thank you." With that he gently pushed Tsuna towards the room. She stepped inside and shut the door. It was a lot bigger than the one in the castle a lot nicer too. It was still simple but there was a wardrobe, a stone basin, a couple of chairs and a mirror on the wall. She sat down on the bed and let out a sigh as she took the weight of her feet.

"Yes this will be fine." The old man said taking in their surroundings. Feeling uncomfortable she coughed.

"Uhh. I thought you were taking me to a healer?" He smiled and nodded.

"Yes but it's late and you need somewhere to stay for the night." She nodded but still felt confused.

"But where are you going?"

"Some work friends of mine will be around to pick me up shortly." A thought crossed her mind and she turned away.

"Umm. I don't have any money to-.."

"You will not have to pay. I have enough to pay for you." Tsuna was stunned at the kindness from a stranger.

"Why...Why are you doing all this for me?" All her life the only people who had cared for her were her teacher and her mother. Her heart clenched at the thought. Even then she had usually looked after herself. So for this complete stranger to do this felt unreal.

He smiled a little sadly. "I have done things in my life that I am not proud of. But I would never let an innocent be harmed if I could stop it." Tsuna cocked her head at the surprising answer. "Now Miss Sawada, can you answer some of my questions."

Hastily she nodded and he smiled. "Thank you. Now what were you doing in the woods at the mercy of wolves?"

So she told him. Told him about the attack on the castle and falling through the portal. She didn't tell him about her mother, Fon or that it was Nateleya who sent her here. He nodded at places but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry for your loss Miss Sawada." She managed a watery smile.

"It's not your fault." For a second his eyes darkened but they cleared quickly. "So you are heading for Namimori?"

"Yeah I made a promise to my-, someone special to me. Do you know the how to get there."

"I think there are a lot of wagons and carts heading there from Italia you could hitch a lift on one of them." She smiled more strongly this time.

"Now about that mark on your neck." His eyes became serious and she gulped involuntarily. "It is very dangerous for you. There are people in this world that would try to hurt you if they saw that mark." A cold chill went down her spine.

"Why-"

"I can't answer your questions but I suggest you find some way to cover it up. Please do this." The earnest look on his face made her nod. Something about him just made her feel like she had to obey. There was a knock on the door and she jumped back in surprise.

"Ah. I see your healer is here." He opened the door and a man stepped into the room. He was slightly hunched and head greying hair but he seemed nice enough. He gently took each foot and examined them.

"You've done quite a bit of damage to these." She laughed a little shakily.

"I lost my shoes in the woods."

"I see. I'm going to apply a paste of muggwort for the pain and to speed the healing then bandage them."

She made an Oh in surprise. "I thought muggwort was dangerous to humans." The healer smiled.

"You've been trained well." She blushed and turned away.

"No I just had a really good teacher."

"Ordinarily it is dangerous but I'm using a very diluted solution, so it will only help." Soon her aching feet were bathed and bandaged. The throbbing pain had begun to dull.

"Now you get some sleep." She nodded and went to climb in the bed. The healer left and Timoteo came to her side.

"I should probably go now. My friends are going to be tearing my house apart looking for me." Tsuna felt a little sad and nervous about being alone but she nodded. It would be completely unreasonable for her to ask him to stay.

"He bent down to her eye level. "Tsuna. I'm sure that we will meet again, but until then let me leave you with some advice." Wide eyes met dark brown. "This world can seem at times to be a cruel and unforgiving place. But you must never stop believing that there is something good in it and in people. Do not lose the innocence that surrounds you. It offers hope to me and I'm sure to others. Goodbye." With that he turned and left the room. Leaving one confused girl laying on her bed. Her fingers sought out her lucky charm and gripping it tight she fell into a sleep.

Outside an old man paid for the healer, room, new clothes and a meal in the morning. He left the inn and headed off into the country. Once he was far away his can began to release an orange flame. Muttering something under his breath he waved his hand over the top. An image began to appear in the flame.

"You called?"

"I have a new task for you. I've found Iemitsu's daughter. She has the mark." There was a long silence.

"She is just like he described and the blood of Vongola runs through her veins. She has the potential for greatness. But she needs a teacher."

"I understand." Another long pause.

"I accept."

**AN: I know not many characters in this chap but she probably won't meet many until she arrives in Namimori which will be next chapter if not al the latest the one after. For anyone who didn't know (and I'm not trying to patronise you at all) Timoteo is Vongola ninth (I just found out his real name recently. This has proved to the most popular of my stories so far so please review and tell me what you think. My biggest worry is writing them OOC. Pairing wise I'm still not sure. It might end up a harem but could go anywhere. I can't run 2 polls at the same time. If you have any ideas or advise please tell me. Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 5

Tsuna was so exhausted that her dreams were untroubled by any of her traumatic experiences, which was a huge relief. The sun slowly rose over the horizon and lit up the room. The landlady came in to wake the girl up, breakfast was going to be served soon and the man had requested that she get a good meal in the child (and it was clear that she needed it). But seeing the peaceful slumber which consumed her guest she left a bundle of clothes on the bed and quietly left the room and decided to save some of the food for later.

About half an hour later Tsuna began to twist and turn; sweat beaded on her brow and her face was twisted up in pain. It got worse; her body started to convulse violently and the sheets were thrown off the bed. Her mouth opened in a wordless cry and for a second her body was consumed with an orange glow. Then with a shudder she collapsed on to the bed and her eyes snapped opened. She was panting heavily and her heart was beating a mile a minute. The panic and adrenaline were still coursing through her and she hadn't stopped shaking. Blindly one hand reached for the charm, which during the confusion had been tossed across the bed. The feel of the woven ring was comforting and she was able to regain some of her senses. Closing her eyes she began to take deep breaths in an attempt to steady herself and slowly the shaking stopped.

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around, at first the unfamiliar sight baffled her until her memory returned. The dark mood which had left her during the night returned and her shoulders dropped. Outside the clouds started to swirl together and fat drops of rain began to fall to the sky. Tsuna looked out the window and smiled. The rain was surprisingly comforting; the sound and smell were familiar to her. Sat there listening to the rain calmed her as if it was washing some of her troubles away. A flash of colour on the floor caught her eye. She quickly scrambled over to the side and reached down to pick up, a shirt. It was a simple purple long-sleeved shirt. Blinking she rummaged on the floor again and found; a pair of socks, underwear, a pair of boots (made of strong leather) and a black pair of trousers. The clothes were simple, nothing fancy or elegant yet she had never owned her own clothes before. The castle servants only wore the uniform that the master had given them. Even as a child every piece had been stamped with the lords crest as if to say- I own you, you are my possession- it had rankled. She had felt more like an object than a person. Tsuna trailed her fingers over the material with wonder, marvelling at the different textures and colours.

She looked around, expecting someone to appear and take them away from her, say it had been a mistake. But no it was only her in the room. She got off the bed and pulled the curtain hanging over the window: she may be new to the world and slightly naïve but she knew what perverts were. Looking down at the tattered tunic she wore she felt a surge of finality. As if by removing the tunic, removing the lords and her teachers symbols she was casting off her past. As if a new chapter in her life would begin. Nervously she removed the tunic and winced as she saw the bruises that covered her body. Turning to face the mirror Tsuna blinked. She had never seen herself this, well unclothed. It felt a little awkward but she was also slightly curious. Of course her mother and her teacher had told her about what would happen when she got older and how baby's were made (a very awkward conversation) and giving birth (which frankly sounded very painful and not something she looked forward to) but she had never had an opportunity to look.

The girl in the mirror looked battered and pale. She stared at her chest. Why did some guys find this part of a womens anatomy interesting? They didn't seem that special, and they got in the way when she was carrying things sometimes. Sure hers weren't massive but they were still bigger than average. Her hair was a mess, it hung down her back like rats tails. A knock on the door startled her and in a flash she was on the bed with a sheet wrapped around her body.

"Come in." She called out quietly once she was sure that she was decently covered. The door swung open to reveal the landlady, who smiled at her.

"Good to see your awake girl. I've saved some breakfast for you." Her eyes went to the clothes on the floor and she frowned. "What's the matter did they not fit?"

So the clothes were for her. Shaking her head Tsuna replied. "N-No they fit fine. I was just a little surprised that's all."

The woman grinned again. "That old man you came in with paid for some clothes and breakfast for you. He also left you some money for your travels."

This seemed to stun her into silence. Timoteo had....he had taken care of her. Her fingers clutched the sheet; he had done all that for her, a virtual stranger who he had met in the woods and she wasn't sure if she would see him again. She was just a servant girl, who couldn't do anything right yet he had helped her when she had needed it and had been really kind. When her world had fallen apart he had made sure she hadn't collapsed with it. Wait travels? That's right she had to get to Namimori and finally get an explanation to what was happening to her. Realising she was string at nothing she blushed and turned back to the landlady.

"Sorry. I zoned out for a second."

"It's alright now why don't you get changed and have some food."

Tsuna ran a hand through her hair and winced when it got tangled in the knots. The lady's eyes sharpened. "Umm. Sure I'll be down in-"

"Do you want to have a bath first?"

Again Tsuna was shocked by the offer. Water was precious and at the castle she could only wash a couple of times a month, if she was lucky. Right now a bath seemed like the best thing in the world. She nodded shyly and the woman smiled.

"There's a metal tub downstairs, I'll start heating some water."

-----------------------------------------------------_Line break_------------------------------------------------------------

Tsuna lowered herself into the bath and almost moaned as the hot water soothed her sore muscles. This felt like heaven. There was a brush next to her and the steam was making her vision blurry. She used the soap to gently clean herself, wincing a little as she washed her torso. She washed her hair thoroughly but kept her bandaged foot resting on the edge at all times. Grabbing the brush she began to run it through her hair attempting to make it look somewhat presentable.

For a while she allowed herself to relax and forget about her life. But reality called and she got out of the warm water. When it wasn't tied in a bun her hair hung a little past her shoulders. The weight of her hair felt weird. She slipped on the underwear, socks and trousers, but stopped when she found the chest binder. Looking down at her bruises she decided to go without it for today and put it in the small bag (which the landlady had kindly provided). She pulled on the purple shirt and turned to face the mirror.

It was slightly surreal seeing her reflection there. Her new clothes felt strange and didn't feel right. She didn't look like Tsuna Sawada, useless servant girl and apprentice to the castle healer. The person staring back at her had shadows in her eyes and her shoulders seemed to droop under an invisible burden. Who was this girl to the world? What was her function? She took a deep breath and steadied herself. Right now she had to get to Namimori...somehow. Her hand went to the back of her neck and she remembered Timoteo's advice. Pulling on the boots she cautiously made her way down to the landlady. A couple of other guests were sat around the table. They looked up when she entered but quickly lost interest and turned back to their conversations. The lady waved her over and set down a plate of food in front of her.

"Eat that all girl. You need some meat on your bones." Tsuna nodded and took a bite. Her eyes widened it was really tasty. It was some bread and butter with some fruit but compared to the goo they serv- _had_ served at the castle it was delicious. Pretty soon her plate was clean. The landlady nodded approvingly.

"That's better. Honestly when you first came I wondered if you'd ever had a decent meal." She reached down a put a purse on the table. "That's the money he left you." Tsuna's hands shook slightly. Money she actually had money. Of her own. Any wages she had earned at the castle had been sent to her guardian, her mother. Cutting that thought off she smiled and put the purse in her bag. Pausing she turned to the woman.

"Do you have anything that could cover my neck?"

If the lady was surprised she didn't show it. "You could probably buy a leather choker or something from the shop." Tsuna nodded and got off her chair.

She turned to the woman and bowed slightly. "Thank you. For everything." The woman smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"There's something about you girl. Something good. I hope your journey goes well. Luck be with you." Tsuna nodded and left the building.

Stopping off at the shop she bought a simple choker which she tied around her neck, effectively covering the mark. She also bought a map and some food. Slinging the satchel over her shoulder she headed out of the village. Although her foot stung a little it was actually a pleasant day. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining in the sky. Unfortunately, with nothing to occupy her mind, it inevitably turned to what had happened.

Again she thought of her mother. Why had she been left. Nana had loved her and she ha loved her mother so why? Unwilling tears formed in her eyes and she let them fall for a second before wiping them away. If anyone deserved tears it was Nataleya. She sniffed and turned her head to look at the scenery. A random bird cawed in the sky. Her eyes focused on the shape against the sky. She would love to fly. The sound of a wagon cut her away from her daydreams. Spinning around she saw a cart and horse make it's way along the path. The driver slowed down and turned to look at her.

He was a middle aged man with short black hair and kind eyes. But her attention was on the sword that hung at his waist.

"What's a young girl doing walking down this road all alone? If you don't mind me asking?" Tsuna blinked and looked into his eyes and then at his cart. There were some bags of something and block's of ice stacked on top of one another. Again something told her to trust him so she answered.

"I'm heading to Namimori sir." He smiled down at her.

"A girl with manners, don't see much of that on these roads." He chuckled. "Namimori you say, well I'm heading in that direction. Do you want a ride?"

She nodded. "Yes please. Thank you. I have money to pay."

He shook his head. "No you keep your money. I could use the company." She scanned his face for any sign of defeat and decided that if he did anything funny she could always jump off. Nodding she climbed onto the back of the cart and he started the horse again.

They talked a little. She learned that he was a sushi-chef. The bags were full of salt for preserving fish and some fish were preserved in the blocks of ice.

"The best fish are from around here but they won't last the journey unless I find a magician to freeze them."

She learnt that he had a son around her age and that the sword was for protection against bandits. They had shared some lunch but she had been content to just travel in silence and she was grateful he didn't ask many questions. They passed a couple of villages and woods the land became more civilised and the villages got bigger then they came to a cross-road.

"Well this is where we part ways miss. Namimori is about 15 miles that way and I've got to go pick up some more fish." She jumped off and smiled at the kind man. He turned left and she carried on.

It had felt nice to talk to someone who didn't think she was a freak or strange. Though she was still skittish around people she felt slightly better about her ability to interact with them. She took a swig of water and continued walking down the now-stone road. Carts, carriages and people were more common. Looking at the sky she knew she would have to find a place to stay for the night soon. At the next town she rented a room in the inn. Hopefully she would reach Namimori tomorrow.

Laying down on the bed she stared up at the ceiling. Her hand went to her foot and she was pleased to learn that it wasn't as sore. Idly she began to list the different medicinal herbs and their properties that she knew. Her teacher had drummed it into her that she had to practice constantly or else the knowledge would fade. What Tsuna wasn't aware of was the small figure entering the room. The figure crossed over to the innkeeper and asked where a certain brown-haired girl was staying.

Tsuna felt her eyes begin to close. Then the door opened and a tiny voice said.

"Ciaosu."

Surprised Tsuna gave an "Eep!" and shot straight off the bed. Not seeing anyone she frowned. Then her eyes travelled downwards and she blinked. Standing in the room was a young child. He wore black and a fedora with an orange band around it, a green chameleon was perched on top. His eyes were black, and some sort of yellow jewel around his neck. Something about the boy reminded her of Fon and she was instantly on guard. He smirked and she felt chills go down her spine. That smirk promised pain.

"You didn't even notice my presence until I had spoken. That's really pathetic." Tsuna's face was a mix of disgruntled and shocked. Shaking her head she bent down to the child level.

"I think you have the wrong room little boy. Have you lost your mother or father?" She shuddered when his gaze met hers. Those eyes. She frowned slightly they looked.....so familiar.

"No. I've not lost my parents. My name is Reborn. Tsuna Sawada I'm here to train you how to be a Mafia boss." If he had said he was hewre to marry her she couldn't have been more surprised. Her face seemed frozen in shock and her brain seemed to stop working. She shook herself.

"I think you're mistaken-" She was cut off by the weapon that was suddenly pointed at her face. With a yells she stepped back only to trip and fall on the floor. A shot of pain went through her foot and she winced. Reborn walked over to her.

"You really are useless." Now slightly angered Tsuna sat up and yelled.

"Why are you calling me names and what rubbish is this about a mafia boss?" He jumped onto her bed and she frowned.

"I was ordered by the ninth boss of the Vongola to train you, Tsuna Sawada, to become the tenth boss." She gave a nervous laugh.

"You must be joking." The weapon was pointed at her face again. With a shriek she jumped back.

"Don't go around pointing weapons at people. It's not safe." The weapon was a small black crossbow with some sort of mechanism attached.

"Well don't be so pathetic then. Anyway like I was saying before you interrupted me."

"You had finished speaking!" Now usually Tsuna was a quiet polite girl, but it was hardly a normal situation and she hadn't had a normal couple of days. Plus she didn't feel as shy around Reborn but she had no idea why.

A bolt was fired next to her head and she shut up. "Like I was saying. You are a descendant from the first boss of the Vongola and your abilities have finally been released. The ninth seems to think you are a suitable candidate and it's my job to turn you into a boss."

Tsuna waited a couple of seconds before speaking. "Boss? As in the mafia? There's no way I'm involved with something like that and what do you mean abilities? I'm normal."

He smirked. "No you're not." He jumped onto her knee and put his finger on her forehead. The jewel began to glow yellow. Her eyes widened as she felt a warm spot appear on her forehead. Her body felt light but strong. She looked down at her hands and gasped as that weird orange flame covered them, but it didn't burn her. For a second she forgot her fear of the psycho baby and met his gaze straight on.

"W-What's happening to me?"

Reborn jumped back onto her bed and the flame disappeared. "Your magic has been awakened. What do you know of the mafia?"

Tsuna blinked. "Uhh. It's an organization that runs across all 5 of the countries. It's made up of fighters, thinkers, creators, magic users every type of person. There are different groups called families and they fight with each other or work together. They're involved with crime, assassinations and politics." The smirk was back.

"Not bad. But still pretty small. Vongola is the greatest of all mafia families. I'm the best hit-man in the family. (her eyebrow twitched). We are the most powerful and have a lot of allies. But there are enemies in the world. There have been 9 bosses of the family. A boss's duty is to rule over the family,they command trust and respect, their word is law among the family and they ensure the family survives. A duty that will one day fall to you eventually."

"That's rubbish! I'm not going to be a crime boss." Weapon was back.

"Yes you will but it will take a lot of work. Your physical condition is pathetic, you can't access your magic and you have no sense of self-preservation." The words struck a chord in her and she leaned back. His words were true. She was completely useless. A tear began to form in her eye, what had her life turned into. A small hand wiped the tear away. Shocked she looked at Reborn.

"Don't worry I will definitely turn you into a great mafia boss." She gave a weak laugh. "I assured the ninth I would. I'm going to help you gather a familia."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

"Why me? There must be some one more suitable!"

"That's probably true but the ninth chose you. That mark on your neck is no accident."

"How do you even know about that." He pulled down his hat over his eyes.

"The V stands for Vongola and the flames represent the sky magic off the boss. It was placed on you as a child to signify your heritage. You disappeared from our world in order to have a normal life but plans changed and now you're next in line."

So many questions whirled around Tsunas head that it hurt. She opened her mouth but was cut off.

"No more questions I've had a long day tracking you down." He took off his hat and pulled up the covers of the bed.

"That's my bed!"

"You mean you'll let an infant sleep on the cold floor?" Hiss eyes became wide and a pout appeared on his face. Tsuna groaned and looked away. A blanket was chucked at her. "A teenage girl however is healthy enough to sleep on the floor."

She grumbled and spread out the blanket. Reaching into her bag she pulled out her charm. Unaware of the sharp eyes that latched on to her. Curling under the blanket Tsuna drifted off to sleep. Reborn jumped down next to her. The hitman jumped down and stared at her hands which were cupped around the trinket, shielding it protectively. For a second his eyes softened with memories of the past and before he was cursed.

"You've grown since I last saw you." A finger gently stroked her forehead. "I'm sorry, sorry about what happened to you. But I promise I'll look after you." His eyes still saw a little girl who had asked him to be her friend. In his world of darkness it had been a burst of light. A child full of innocence and trust that was unheard of within the mafia. He hoped it would not be tainted by the trials to come.

**AN: I know there not in Namimori yet but that will be next chapter and I've finally introduced Reborn (not in a flashback). Thank you to all my reviewers and everyone who favourited or put this on their story alert. I can't believe how popular this has turned out to be. Again any advice is appreciated and if I do write them OOC please tell me. Tsuna is really naïve about the world and her own body, she was basically kept in the castle with no free time so everything is new to her. Pairings still not sure of. I hope my story does remain true to KHR in some respects but the plot will be different. Please rview, they help me write faster! :) Thank you for reading. Can't believe how much I can write for these chapters; over 3000 words which is a record for me!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 6

The sun rose on the small town; there was a tranquillity all around, the birds were chirping, the grass was wet with dew and the soft snores of people filled the air. Truly a peaceful moment in time. A moment which was broken by the ear piercing cry "AIIIII!!!". Peacefulness gone.

The reason for the cry was that Tsuna Sawada had woken up from her nights sleep. Still tired and slightly sore from sleeping on the floor she had rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned. Then she looked up. Now it took a couple of seconds for her still sleeping brain too process what it was seeing: about 8 crossbows loaded with pointy bolts, all directed at her, with a rope attached to connect them all. With growing terror and awareness her eyes followed the rope to see what or rather who was holding it. They stopped on a baby with a sadistic smirk on his face and dressed in black; who proceeded to pull the rope.

Given the circumstances a shriek was not out of place. Just in time she jumped out of the way as the 8 sharp bolts thumped into the wood of the floor. Stunned she sat on the floor panting heavily just staring at the place where she had slept; which now resembled a pin cushion.

"Not bad. Your reflexes are better than I thought. Still a lot of work to do." Reborn said. As soon as the words registered in her mind she turned on him furious.

"You set up those crossbows?!"

"Of course. A Mafia boss has to be constantly alert, their life is always in danger. It's such a disappointment that you didn't even hear me set them up."

"Don't be so calm when you admit it! You tried to kill me!"

"No if I was trying to kill you, you'd be dead." The calm matter-of-fact way he said it told her he was serious sent shivers down her spine. Her shoulders drooped as she sighed.

"I thought you were a nightmare or a hallucination." She eeped as another crossbow was pointed at her head.

"If I shoot you would that prove that I'm not a nightmare?" She jumped back waving her arms frantically.

"No, No I believe you." He withdrew the crossbow. Hunching up her knees she stared at the evil infant in front of her. "I'm not going to say it again. I'm not par of any Mafia family thing and I don't want to be either."

Reborn sat down in front of her and she saw the chameleon was back on his head. "That is no concern of mine. Vongola ninth told me to do this."

"Vongola ninth?"

"The current boss of the Vongola. He is getting old and looking to retire so he needs to choose a successor. He chose you."

"Why me?"

From seemingly out of nowhere he pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment. He opened it up and on the faded paper there was a diagram; a lot of names joined up with various lines. A family tree. A small finger pointed to the name at the top of the list. She squinted and made out the name Giotto Sawada (Vongola primo).

"He was the creator of the Vongola family, the first boss. In order to protect his descendants he hid his child away and moved from Italia to Japan. His line carried on through your father to you. The blood of Vongola runs through your veins so the ninth has chosen you as his replacement."

Tsuna didn't say anything for a few seconds her mind trying to make sense of what she heard and the next time she spoke her voice was quiet.

"My fathers line." Reborn nodded. Slowly she followed the line down from Giotto to the name above her own: Iemitsu Sawada and the name connected to it: Nana Sawada. As if a switch had been flicked she felt her throat close up and a stab of pain in her chest. Her mouth tried to form her next question but it was like everything had frozen and no sound emerged. In her mind the memory kept replaying of that terrible empty room at the castle, everything taken, her mother gone...without her. There was a sharp jolt to her head and she cried out in surprise. Turning she saw Reborn standing on her shoulder. His eyes were serious and she gulped.

"You shouldn't let bad memories have such a hold on you, that can be a fatal mistake."

She nodded actually feeling some gratitude towards him. For a second she had felt trapped unable to escape that horrible feeling. Shaking her head she remembered the matter at hand.

"Anyway just because I'm supposedly descended from some Vongola line, which I've never heard of by the way, it doesn't mean I'm going to be a Mafia boss." The smirk was back.

"You weren't told for your own protection. Neither you nor your mother knew and your powers were sealed away to stop any of the trackers finding you." Tsunas eyes widened as she remembered the last words her teacher had spoken "_I undo the barrier. Let her power shine". _Then there was that weird orange glow that kept on appearing.

"Wait but-" She was cut off when the hitman jumped onto the floor.

"I might answer some questions later when we're at Namimori. They're serving breakfast downstairs and I'm hungry." With that he left the room leaving Tsuna alone with her thoughts. She sighed and laid down across the bed. Somehow she knew that Reborn wasn't going to just disappear if she asked him to. Frustrated at her lack of information she huffed and crossed her arms. It was a condolence that she was still heading to Namimori, although it was clear she would be having company and though she shuddered at being left alone with Reborn a small part of her was glad. For years she had tried to better herself because she ha never been good enough for anyone even her mother tal- used to talk about her failures. Tsuna was tired of being a loser she wanted...she wanted to see if this hitman could help, her eyes flickered to the crossbow bolts, despite his rather extreme methods.

She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them wide as she heard a faint ticking noise. Propping herself up on her elbows she looked around the room but couldn't see anything. The noise stopped and she exhaled; before yelling out as the bed dropped down a trapdoor. Her yell echoed around the inn and downstairs a baby smiled as he ate his breakfast.

"A Mafia boss must always be aware of her surroundings, a trap could occur at any time."

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They were on the roads again. Reborn was standing on Tsunas shoulder and she was grumbling about lazy children but every time she told him to walk he used that pout so he ended up on her shoulder. Damn her weakness for children. Now and then her stomach would grumble and her anger towards Reborn would grow. At breakfast every time she had tried to eat the food would be snatched away from her onto the little monsters plate. Apparently it was to "improve her reflexes" so she was pretty hungry.

Wondering for the hundredth time why this was happening to her she watched the other people travelling along the roads. It was still pretty early so there were only a couple of travellers. Some of them were rich and wore the most colourful and odd looking clothes she had ever seen, some were warriors with weapons and a dangerous aura and then there were those who she was sure were magical in some way. They stood out from every one else, normal people seemed to want to avoid them subconsciously and others just outright glared at them. Her hand clenched; was that orange flame her magic? Would people start avoiding her and looking at her with distrust if she used it.

"It depends on how you use it." The calm voice of Reborn penetrate her thoughts and she turned to him and frowned.

"I didn't say anything."

"No, I read your mind." Her first thought was of disbelief then she remembered all that he had done and a kind of accepting horror came over her.

"Anyway, you have to learn how to control your power. If you don't it will destroy you for sure."

"I don't know the first thing about magic!"

"We'll have to remedy that then. Now pay attention I'm going to test you later." She groaned. "Magic is one of the sources of the Mafia's power, there are 7 different types of power in the world: Sky, Rain, Sun, Storm, Thunder, Cloud and Mist."

"Wait aren't those types of weather?"

"Don't interrupt or else I will shoot you. Now most people in the Mafia can use this power but only use it to strengthen themselves or make their weapons more powerful. The Sky type is the strongest of all types and the boss of Vongola always has the sky type of power. The boss has 6 guardians who protect them and the family, there is one guardian for every type. Now there is a difference between these powers and magic. Only a few people can use magic and not everyone has it. Magic allows for the casting of spells, summoning creatures, controlling minds, creating illusions a very powerful skill to have. Then there are different races who are intertwined with it, for example the shape shifters who have magic running throughout their entire bodies which allows them to transform. Other races include blastekas." At her confused expression he continued.

"The blastekas are a race of necromancers and assassins; there aren't that many but they are among the deadliest of fighters. Pray you don't have to fight one. So to conclude I have to teach you how to harness your sky power."

"Look that's all very interesting but I'm still not sure about this supposed power I have." She failed to notice the dangerous look in his eyes.

They continued on in silence for a bit. Tsuna's legs were still a bit sore and her foot was throbbing but the teacher from hell was not letting her stop. They were alone on the road and the only noise was her feet on the floor. The land was still green and there was a couple of trees and bushes along the way. She could see towns on the horizon. It should have been a relaxing walk but Tsuna couldn't. She had a weird feeling that she was being watched. Somehow she knew whoever was watching meant her harm of some sort.

Clutching her bag tighter she walked slightly faster. Reborn was now sleeping and so was the chameleon (who she had learnt was called Leon). Then someone stepped out onto the road. She stopped and felt her hands begin to sweat. The man was dressed roughly and her eyes didn't miss the dagger on his waist. A noise came from behind her and she turned to see 2 more men step out onto the road. Her mouth went dry. These were dangerous men. The one in front of her sneered and spat on the floor.

"Looks like we found ourself a pretty one. Wonder how much she's got on her." Tsuna felt her body start to shake. It was just like at the castle. That helpless feeling was back an the knowledge that she couldn't do anything to protect herself.

One of them lunged forward and grabbed her arm. She yelled and tried to push him off but it was futile. Another grabbed her neck and she cried out in pain. Her struggles were useless. Then she felt a pain in her forehead and the world began to dim. Looking down she saw Reborn with a crossbow in his hand aimed at her head. He had shot her. As her life seemed to slip away she felt a regret that the thieves would do this again and again and she hadn't been able to do anything.

The bandit holding her gave her a shake. "Hey wake up yo-" He was cut off as an orange glow began to pulse form her. He jerked his hand away as it began to burn.

"REBORN!" The girl stood up ramrod straight, her eyes wide and burning with some unknown emotion. The glow turned into a flame that consumed her entire body.

"What the hell!" One of the thieves attempted to grab her but she clutched onto his arm and threw him over her shoulder into a boulder. The other two seemed to be frozen in shock.

"I'll stop you bandits with my dying will!" Her hands became a blur as she began to punch the now terrified thieves repeatedly. After a few seconds they collapsed on the floor knocked out.

The flame faded and her eyes became normal. She looked at what she had done and jumped back. Her eyes went wide and she seemed to be choking on her words.

"W-W-What d-did I just d-do?"

"You used your dying will to save yourself and stop those robbers." She turned to Reborn. He held up the crossbow and a bolt. The bolt looked different; it had an orange stripe running up it. "This is the dying will bolt. It allowed you to use your power, however it only works if the person is dying and feeling regret; their dying will."

"Wait what if I hadn't regretted anything."

"Then you would have died."

"Don't say scary things like that!"

"You should be more concerned about your state of dress."

"What do you mean?" She looked down and coughed. Her clothes had been reduced to rags. Her top had large tears across the back and arms and her trousers and one leg almost shredded off. Tsunas face went bright red and she jumped behind a bush.

"What happened to my clothes?!" Reborn smiled and looked up at the sky.

"Because your power is so wild and untamed it destroys anything that isn't you, like your clothes."

"I can't walk into Namimori like this!"

"Well you'll have to figure something out because We'll be there soon."

Don't you feel any sympathy at all."

"No."

"Ugh!" She sat on the floor. There was no way she was taking another step half-naked. Her eyes flickered over to the unconscious men and an idea struck her. A couple of minutes later she was decently clothed in a black top and trousers (which had caused a great deal of embarrassment on her part). They headed off again and although Tsuna still complained a lot a tiny part of her mind was rejoicing that for once she hadn't been a loser or useless. She had stopped them and her walk seemed to be a bit lighter.

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"There it is the city of Namimori." Tsuna felt that her eyes couldn't get any wider. The city was big, really big, huge. From the road she could see a couple of tall buildings stretching to the sky in the centre. The whole city was teeming with life. As she neared the gates she saw whole caravans of odd looking people entering an exiting. As she and the psycho teacher went through the gate she felt a weird feeing, like she was coming...home. Shaking it off they walked down a couple of the still crowded streets.

"So we're here now what?"

"We need to find somewhere to stay." She nodded and began to look for some sort of accommodation. They walked further into the city. Every inn she saw was shot down by Reborn for some reason. Eventually, the buildings started to get smaller and darker, the streets got narrower.

"Reborn are you sure we should be down here it looks suspicious."

"Don't be a coward Tsuna. This is where you will be staying."

"What!"

"Here in this building." She glanced at the building he spoke of. It was a wreck, the windows were either broken or boarded up, it was quite big yet the paint was faded and she could spot holes in the roof.

"Why am I going to be living in this dump?" she asked.

"It's your responsibility to look after this building considering the ninth bought it for you.

"He did?" Reborn nodded and handed her a piece of paper, She examined it and felt a strange shock settle over er. It was true. The deed to the building was in her name. She owned it. An entire building. Her eyes turned to the house again only this times her eyes were bright with imagination and wonder. She saw it cleaned up and repaired. Her own house not just a room an entire building.

Perhaps the Vongola boss wasn't all bad though. A thought crossed her mind and she turned to stare down at Reborn.

"He's not trying to bribe me is he?"

"No, a boss needs a headquarters to plan and gather a family."

"How many times to I have to tell you that I don't want to be a Mafia boss." But Reborn had already gone inside. Making a frustrated noise she followed him. The door was still attached which was a plus. Stepping inside she had to blink a few times to get used to the light. The only light was the sunlight streaming through the only unbroken window. The first room was covered in dust and almost all the furniture was upturned. The walls were chipped. She explored her new home. There were 5 rooms downstairs and 4 upstairs. Everything was covered in a layer of dust or broken. There were a couple of creaky old floorboards one of which she stepped on and nearly fell through. Despite the mess though she absolutely loved it, there was so much potential here. She found a bed in one of the rooms and proceeded to make it so she would have somewhere to rest for the night.

"So you like it then?" Reborn had somehow appeared in the doorway ad she turned around with a brilliant smile on her face.

"It's amazing." Her face fell. "But there's no way I have enough money to repair everything though."

"Then you should get a job." She frowned at him.

"Yeah right, who wants to hire a useless servant who can't walk 10 steps without tripping over her feet?"

"Stupid girl, I didn't say anything about being a servant. Besides I'm sure someone is looking to hire." The way he said it made Tsuna turn to stare at him.

"You make it sound like you know I'll get a job."

"Really." He pulled his hat over his eyes and left the room. Left alone she took off her bag and looked at her feet, she would have to change the bandages soon and the money Timoteo had given her was nearly gone. Out of habit her hand went to her neck and she paused at the odd feel of the leather choker.

She went downstairs and opened the door, how was she supposed to fix this old place. She leant against the wall and sighed. She was finally here in Namimori like she had promised Nataleya but now what? What did everyone expect her to do? So wrapped up in her thoughts when she took a step forward she didn't see the person running straight at her until he ran into her. With a gasp she was knocked onto the floor on her backside with an oof.

Dazed for a second she stared up at the black shape in front of her. A bandaged hand appeared and she heard a voice.

"I am EXTREMELY sorry miss." A very loud voice. Her sight cleared and she looked up at the boy standing in front of her. He had white spiky hair and grey eyes. Both his hands were bandaged. Realising she was staring at him Tsuna blushed and took his hand. He wrenched her up with ease and she brushed off some of the dirt on her clothes. He looked sorry so she waved her hands in a dismissive gesture.

"It's fine really. My own fault for not paying attention." Already she could hear Reborn in her head scolding her.

"Are you sure? I was running EXTREMELY fast." She blinked and gave a small smile. Not many people every apologized to her so it was a nice change.

"Really I'm fine just a little dirty." He nodded but looked unsure. There was a slightly awkward silence before he spoke again.

"I've not seen you around here before. What were you doing in that abandoned (EXTREMELY creepy) building?"

Turning to face the house she smiled. "I'm the new owner, just moved here. But I wasn't expecting it to be such a mess. My name is Tsuna, well my full name is Tsunayoshi Sawada but I go by Tsuna."

He nodded and held out his hand. "My name is Ryohei Sasagawa. I live in the house opposite." He pointed and she saw the house he meant. It was clean small but obviously well kept.

"It's very nice. Mr Sasagawa." He started to laugh and she blushed. At the castle the servants were taught to only be formal towards people and she was unsure on how to behave.

"That makes me feel EXTREMELY old, call me Ryohei or just Sasagawa if you want to." She smiled. He was nice, nicer then most people she met.

"OK. It was nice meeting you R-Ryohei." He grinned and she was shocked at how bright it was.

"I'm EXTREMELY glad I met you Tsuna. If you need any help with the house you know where to find me."

"Thank you, that's very kind."

"No problem, you should come over some time I'm sure Kyoko would love to meet you."

"Kyoko?"

"My younger sister, she lives with me." Tsuna nodded in understanding.

"I better go inside, nice meeting you Ryohei."

"See you around Tsuna." He gave a small wave then began running again. She waved back and went inside.

Ryohei watched her go inside from the corner of his eye. It felt EXTREMELY wrong to him that Tsuna was going to be alone in that big creepy house. What if something bad happened to her? He felt something stir inside and he recognised as the one he got around Kyoko. The desire to protect. He clenched his fist and made a promise that he would help protect Tsuna.

Unbeknownst to him Ryohei was being observed by black eyes. Reborn sat on the roof and watched the boy begin to run again. He smirked "A possible family member. But I'll have to see what he can do first." Then he went back inside to begin training (cough torturing) his reluctant student.

**AN: I know that Tsuna doesn't meet Ryohei until later on but I really like him and thought that it fitted my story better. Anyway more characters will be introduced next chapter now that she's in Namimori. I really appreciate all the reviews people have given but a few more wouldn't hurt (hint). If anyone has any ideas over what job Tsuna could get please tell me because I currently have no idea. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 7

The rest of Tsunas day was spent attempting to clean up her new house, she still felt giddy over that, all the while trying to avoid the various traps and life threatening devices that had magically appeared. Trying but failing. She groaned as she fell flat on her face yet again. She was sure that Reborn had been sent by the Devil himself to torture her; he knew just what buttons to push and never got tired reminding her how useless she was. Darkness was beginning to fall and she yawned as tiredness began to overcome her. Methodically she went around the house locking all the doors and checking that the windows were shut.

When she was sure the house was secure she lit a candle and went downstairs, she had set the old table back on its four legs, had dusted it down and put a couple of old chairs around it. She still had some of the food she had bought while travelling. After finding a plate she sat at the table and began to eat. But her eyes didn't stop darting around the room trying to see where Reborn would come from and steal her food. Tsuna knew he was watching her and it scared her.

From where he was sitting Reborn watched his student as she ate her meal. He was surprised to see she had also set out some of the food for him, it was some sort of noodle dish, and felt a spark of amusement. He had pushed the girl to her very limits yet she still looked out for him. There was no doubt in his mind that Tsuna Sawada had the potential to be a great Boss it was whether or not she could fulfil it, that he wasn't sure of. Was she prepared for the struggles that would lie ahead? No, not yet. She would need a strong family who could protect her and help her grow. That shouldn't be too hard, something about the girl just screamed _I need to be protected_ but she didn't. Those bandits had learned that there was strength in that deceptively fragile frame. His hand stroked Leon absently as his thoughts continued to whir around the brunette. Their first, well second really, encounter had established that she was absolutely useless at almost everything except herbal medicine. Yet he had seen something flare in her eyes; the desire to improve, and that was what would keep Reborn training her. Deciding he had spent enough time contemplating he worked out the best way to surprise her.

Tsuna was scraping the remainder of the noodles round her plate having a mental debate with herself.

**Just admit it you're worried about Reborn.**

_No I'm not. He's evil, mean and for gods sake he's a master hitman!_

**That may be but you are still worried about him.**

_He can take care of himself, if anything I feel sorry for the person doing anything to him._

**But he's just a baby left alone in the world, how do you know if he's safe?**

_I don't care._

**Yes you do.**

_No I don't._

**Yes you do.**

_NO I DON'T_

**Then why aren't you eating?**

_I'm full that's all._

**Sure you are. Face it you care for the psycho baby with a crossbow because that's who you are and you can't change that.**

She sighed and held her head in her hands. Great she couldn't even argue with herself and win. Her eyes turned on to the empty seat at the table. Crazy or not Reborn was the only one she knew in this place and she trusted him....to a degree. Knowing if she didn't go now her worry would just grow she stood up to go and search for him.

"Ciaossu."

With a yell she fell backwards, knocking the chair down with her. Opening one eye she saw Reborn standing on the table. Now normally she would have scolded him for scaring her but her head was still spinning from the impact so it slipped her mind.

"I thought you knew by now that a boss-"

"Has to be aware at all times." she finished only to eep as the crossbow was aimed at her head again.

"Don't interrupt me."

"O-o-ok." She stuttered and the crossbow went away.

Reborn went over to his meal and began to eat. Tsuna got off the floor and put the chair back in its original setting. Outwardly she wore a frown but inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. Even if everyone stepped all over her Tsuna had a personality that meant she cared a lot about about people close to her. Which was why a couple of days after the castle attack her emotional state still resembled a roller-coaster. She sighed and began to clear her plate away her thoughts turning to the boy she had met; Ryohei Sasagawa, he had seemed nice and friendly, his openness had surprised her as she was mainly used to glares and whispers behind her back. Maybe coming here would be a good thing. Turning her attention back to Reborn.

"I've cleared two of the bedrooms, we should (well I should) be more comfortable tonight (Because you made me sleep on the floor." she said,

"No I'll be staying in your room." he replied and went back to eating.

"What!? No way not when you can have your own bed." she snapped.

"So you want to leave me alone on my first night in this big, creepy old house." he was doing that pout again and Tsuna could feel her resolve weakening.

"Stop trying to manipulate me with that face. I refuse to sleep in the same room with you. I won't be able to sleep for worry over what you're going to do in the morning."

"But I'm all alone." She groaned and gave in tactically ignoring the victorious smirk on his face. Why did he have to be a baby? Why couldn't he have been some perverted man that she could easily say no to.

She headed up for bed. Changing into a bed shirt she had bought she slipped under the covers. Her eyes noticed a small canoe hanging between the corners of the ceiling. She growled as she realised that Reborn had already moved in. Although she was worried at whatever life threatening, dangerous and probably inescapable trap he had set up for her she was tired and her eyes shut. A final prayer that she would sleep without dreams.

Reborn hopped into his bed and turned his gaze to his slumbering student. No-one who knew of him would ever sleep so peacefully in a room with him. Tsuna did yet she trusted him to an extent, and he had only known her a couple of days. Black eyes flickered to the charm by her side. It wasn't anything special just a trinket to give luck; nothing magical or special. Yet she clung to it like a lifeline. He couldn't believe she had kept it but there it was. A mosquito buzzed into the room and he listened to it. He grinned at the news it brought; A certain mafioso had arrived seeking to challenge his pupil. Excellent.

--_----------------------------------------------------- Line Break---------------------------------------------------------_

Early the next morning Tsuna woke up to start her search for a job. Of course this was after dodging the giant swinging blade pendulums that seemed to have suddenly appeared all over the house. Pausing only to grab an apple she ran out of the house. Reborn had told her he would be around, whatever that meant but she assumed he would be around if she needed him. As she stepped out onto the street she heard someone call her name.

"TSUNA!" She turned to see Ryohei running towards her.....and he didn't seem to be stopping. Taking a step back she just missed the blur that was charging at her. He skidded to a stop a couple of metres away. Tsuna could not believe the amount of stamina he had.

Plastering a smile on her face she said "Good morning Sa-Ryohei." Her cheeks flushed a little as the use of his first name. He gave her a thumbs up and his smile seemed to split his face in half.

"I'm EXTREMELY glad you are OK." She cocked her head at the strange sentence.

"Uhh, why wouldn't I be OK?"

"Oh I thought you knew." A shiver of dread passed up her spine.

"Knew what?"

"Well every owner of that house has died in an EXTREMELY horrible way in less than a month after moving in." He turned to Tsuna, who was now pale white and shaking. "Are you alright? You look EXTREMELY unwell."

Tsuna however, didn't hear this the only words going around in her head were _owner, house, died_ and _horrible_. She gulped and hugged herself.

"Anyway I'm sure you'll be fine. So what are you doing today?" Snapping out of her daze she gave a small smile.

"Oh I need to find a job, I want to repair the house and make some changes but I need some money." Ryohei crossed his arms and made "ahh" noises. He opened his eyes and clenched his hand into a fist.

"I will help you find a job Tsuna." He declared and for a second flames seemed to burn in his eyes.

"T-Thank you but it's really not necessary." He opened his mouth to say it was when a third voice joined the party.

"You could use all the help you could get No-good Tsuna." She recognised the speaker immediately.

"Reborn I don't want to impose on Ryohei, that would be rude." She saw Ryohei staring at Reborn.

"Hey Tsuna who is the baby?" he asked.

Tsuna panicked, there was no way she could tell him the truth he'd think she was a freak. "Oh uhh he's my-"

"I'm a hitman from the mafia." Her eyes widened and she felt a jolt of fear run through her. Slowly she turned her gaze to Ryohei. His arms were crossed and he was nodding his head. There was a moment of silence then he opened his mouth.

"That is EXTREMELY awesome. I'm glad that Tsuna has such a strong person to protect her in that house." She nearly face vaulted at his answer. All she could think was_ I need protection from him!_ Reborn smirked and Tsuna didn't like the calculating look in his eye.

"Anyway," she began hoping to get Ryohei away from him "I should probably get going." She backed away from the boy and hoped to get out of this unharmed.

"Alright you check that side of the city and I'll check the other. This will be an EXTREMELY good training exercise." she wasn't sure how to handle his enthusiasm for well everything.

"Training? What are you training for?" She asked. He smiled and seemed to get even more excited.

"I am a boxer and someday hope to be the best in the world. My motto is to live life TO THE EXTREME!" He yelled and punched his fist into the arm.

"Wow, that's quite a dream you have there."

"Uh huh. I train every day and enter as many competitions as I can."

"You must be really strong then." She smiled, the biggest smile he'd seen on her. It looked...cute. Pushing that thought away he nodded.

"I hope so. So this quest for a job will just be another EXTREME training exercise." And with he ran down the street leaving a rather bemused Tsuna standing behind him.

Shaking her head she looked at where Reborn had been standing only to gasp when she saw that he'd disappeared. Sighing, annoyed at her teacher she continued down the path. There were a couple of shops but none of them were looking for help and it was the same at nearly everywhere she tried.

Disappointed she decided to head back for lunch. She was worried about what would happen if they didn't have a source of income. It was nearly midday. So wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't see the small object getting closer and closer. Then it blew up. With a yell she was thrown to the floor. Wincing at the pain in her knees she turned to see what had caused the explosion. As the smoke cleared she saw a figure step forward. They were in a large square and alone. Most people were working or eating lunch. Her eyes took in the boys appearance; he was taller than her (but then again most people were) he was wearing plain trousers a shirt and a loose jacket. He had silver hair and piercing eyes. He would have been handsome if it wasn't for the scowl on his face. He stepped in front of her and sneered. Instinctively she cowered away from him.

"So you're the one who is next in line to be boss of the Vongola." Her fear gave way to confusion and she just went.

"Eh." He scoffed and brought out some sort of tube like object from his jacket. She saw it was the the same as the thing that had just exploded and jumped away.

"Pathetic. There's no way a girl as weak as you could be boss." She cringed a bit. Suddenly Reborn jumped onto her head.

"Ah, you must be Hayato Gokudera otherwise known as Smokin bomb Hayato."

"You know this guy Reborn?" The boy nodded.

"So is it true that if I kill her then I'll become Vongola tenth?" All the colour drained from her face.

"Yes that was the deal."

"What! Reborn how could you make a deal like that!" She waved her hands in the air. The boy took a fighting house and threw a handful of the explosives at her.

With a yell she ran out of the way. Covering her ears from the noise she dodged the explosions that seemed to come out of every direction. One of them knocked her to her feet and a small pile of the explosives landed at her feet. She was going to die. A sharp pain hit her in the forehead and she felt herself falling backwards. As darkness surrounded her she felt a regret that she wasn't able to stop the bombs otherwise people would get hurt.

Gokudera stopped for a second when he saw the limp form laying on the floor. A moment passed then an orange flame surrounded the body and she jumped up. The wild look in her eyes was back and her clothes were beginning to rip.

"REBORN! I'll stop the bombs with my dying will!"

Stunned Gokudera stepped back before frowning. "Not dead yet? I'll double the explosives." Only this time she was different. Her hands put out the sparks that lit the explosives. Her speed increased tenfold and she became a blur of orange. No matter how many bombs he threw the girl just put them out. Frustrated he filled his arms with explosives.

"Fine. I'll just have to use triple the amount." But his arms couldn't hold that amount of dynamite and they fell to the floor around him. _I can't get away. I'm going to die. _He thought.

"Diffuse!" The voice startled him and to his shock he saw the girl putting out the bombs at his feet. Every one. When the last one was put out She sat back on the floor and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god. I was sure one of us would be hurt." She gave him a small smile which faded when she saw him bowing on his knees before her.

"Are you OK?" She put a hand on his shoulder, worried he had been hurt.

"I, I was gravely mistaken." he said. When he looked up there was a big smile on his face that stunned her. Wasn't this the same guy that had just tried to kill her?

"When I heard that the next boss in line was a servant girl about my age I thought you would be too weak. So I came to challenge you, even if I didn't really want to be boss. But I was wrong you are the strongest person I've ever met. I'll follow you to the ends of the earth Juudaime-hime!" She blinked at the passionate speech.

"Juudaime-hime?" She wondered what it meant.

"It means Princess Tenth or Tenth Princess." Reborn told her. Appearing once again after the danger had passed. Gokudera nodded.

Reborn smiled. "Well done Tsuna you've gathered your first familigia member."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a Mafia tradition, the loser becomes the victors subordinate." He said and she nodded but then started shaking her head.

"No, No Gokudera. I don't want that. Why don't you just become my friend." She tried to wave away the offer but he got that scary look again.

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that." he said in a serious tone. Tsuna was so intimidated that she couldn't say anything to contradict him. She glared at her teacher instead.

"Did you plan this?"

"Yes."

"Don't admit it so blatantly. Anyway I'm not going to be a Mafia boss." She crossed her arms and the blushed as she realised her clothes had ripped again. Blushing she scrambled away from Gokudera with a red blush on her face. Said boy was now looking away with a similar looking blush on his face. Reborn jumped onto her head again. He dropped a bag in front of her face.

"Here are some spare clothes you can change into." Grateful she grabbed the bag and rushed round a corner to make herself decent. Gokudera stood up and turned around to guard the Tenth from any perverts that might try to peak at his boss. The scowl was back on his face again.

Quickly Tsuna scrambled out in the new clothes. She smiled and went over to the boy. "Thank you for guarding me Gokudera."

"It was my pleasure Juudaime-hime." She sighed at the title but let it go.

"TSUNA!" The two teens spun round to see one Ryohei Sasagawsa charging for them. Thinking fast Gokudera pushed her out the way and threw a handful of bombs at the attacker.

"Wait Gokudera he's a friend of mine!" Tsuna yelled but her voice was drowned out by the noise. Scared she searched for Ryohei amongst the smoke and was pleased to see he looked relatively unharmed, if a bit dirty.

Unconcerned by the near-death experience he walked up to her and threw an arm around her. Earning a death glare from the silver haired teen.

"Glad I found you. I think I might have found a job for you." A smile split her face.

"Really Ryohei?" Her voice was filled with hope and gratitude. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Just who are you?" Ryohei turned to the now fuming bomber who was still glaring at him.

"My name is Ryohei Sasagawa. I'm a friend of Tsunas, and you are?."

"Hayato Gokudera, right hand man of Juudaime-hime." He said proudly and crossed his arms still trying to scare away the idiot.

"Do you mean Tsuna?"

"Don't be so familiar with her Turf-head!"

What at last my hair doesn't EXTREMELY resemble an octopus!"

"Take that back!" Tsuna just stood in the middle as the two bickered. A laugh bubbled up inside her and sh began to giggle; a light tinkling noise that caused both boys to stop their arguing. Realising she was the centre of attention she stopped and looked up.

"I'm sorry for laughing. It's just that I've never had two people argue over being my friends, and I'd be glad if you both became my friends." She said her hands wringing together behind her back. This whole social interaction thing was still new to her. They both looked at her and said they would be honoured to be her friend. The trio then set off following Ryohei's directions. With the two males still arguing and calling each others names. Still Tsuna felt a rare sense of peace and the smile stayed on her face.

**AN: I know there's no Yamamoto yet but he will appear soon. Again please send in some suggestions for Tsuna's job as I'm still not sure. I'm really surprised by how much people like this story. Do you think I wrote Gokudera allright? Pairings again still not sure on but I don't mind putting a bit of everything in if that's what you guys want. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me**

Chapter 8

Tsunas blinked and stared at the building in front of her. Ryohei had dragged her and Gokudera across town, chatting throughout the entire journey. The cheerful boy seemed completely oblivious to the glare directed at him by the silver haired teen. What Tsuna didn't see was that when she looked away he would glare right back. She just shrugged her shoulders at the tension between the two, boys were one of the many things in the world she didn't understand.

She could feel Reborn's eyes on her but she had no idea where he was. Somehow she just knew that he would be judging what job she got, and probably whatever else she was doing. Each step she had taken she had half expected some weird trap to spring. The baby was making her paranoid. A tiny voice in her head whispered that a boss had to constantly be aware of their surroundings and to never let their guard down. She grit her teeth in frustration; the voice in her head was starting to sound a lot like Reborn. Gokudera had spent the journey trying to talk to her but Ryohei had always managed to grab her attention. This meant that he was now very angry and his hands were twitching rather worryingly. It had occurred to Tsuna that her possible boss wouldn't like it if Gokudera blew up the street.

Turning her eyes back to the building she read the sign on the front. _Kawahira's place._ She turned to Ryohei.

"You never told me what this place was Ryohei." He scratched the back of his head,

"I'm EXTREMELY sorry Tsuna but if I wanted to get you here as quick as possible otherwise I may have forgotten." She heard Gokudera mutter idiot under his breath.

"That's fine Ryohei. So what is this place exactly and what job are they hoping to hire someone for?"

"This building is EXTREMELY special. It serves as a tea shop but also as an apothecary. The owner is a really cool guy who like ramen...a lot. I know him because of my EXTREME training. See I usually end up slightly injured and I get most of my first aid from here. He's friends with my dad so I get a slight discount. Anyway his assistant left town a week ago on some adventure and he needs a replacement."

She smiled, an apothecary, that was something that she may actually be able to work in. She felt a little nervous about the tea shop bit though, knowing her she would trip and break every cup and plate in the building. Taking a deep breath she readied herself.

"Don't worry Juudaime-hime he'd be an idiot not to hire someone as talented as you." Gokudera smiled and she nodded slightly. She had mentioned her apprenticeship in the walk over but he seemed to exaggerate everything she did. Not to mention the dynamite still made her very nervous. It wasn't that she disliked Gokudera, far from it, he was just so forward and seemed desperate to please her. She didn't know how to react to it.

"I hope I do get it. It doesn't seem too far from my house and we didn't have to pass through any shady areas to get here." She examined the building again. The walls were a faint green colour and the paint on the sign was faded. She asked Ryohei and Gokudera to wait outside, the last thing she wanted was a fight in the middle of a job interview. The door had a crack running down it and looked like it would break down with one punch. She gently knocked on the door. There was a spooky creak and it swung open. Gulping she stepped inside, it was quite nice and was cleaner on the outside then the inside she saw with relief.

"Who are you?" She jumped slightly at the voice, which seemed to come out of nowhere, that pierced the silence. Her head swung left and right until she saw who she presumed was the owner. The man was eating a bowl of ramen and was watching her with eyes behind a pair of glasses. His clothes looked slightly shabby but what caught her attention was the ring on his finger: it was a black band with snakes coming out of it and something about it sent a chill down her spine. Shaking her head she bowed slightly.

"I'm sorry for intruding sir. My name is Tsunayoshi Sawada." His eyes flashed slightly and reminded her a little too much of a certain infant. "I-I heard that you were looking for an assistant." He put his head in his hands cocked his head left then right without taking his eyes off her making Tsuna feel like one of the bugs that the healer would sometimes dissect. There was a long awkward silence and she began to wish that she had let Gokudera and Ryohei come with her.

"Oh! Your the girl that Sasagawa told me about." It took him that long to figure it out she thought. Still keeping her face composed she nodded. He stepped towards her and used his chopsticks to lift up her face. Now feeling really nervous Tsuna just focused on breathing maybe she should look somewh-

"You're hired." The man exclaimed and let her face go.

"EHHH? What!?" She jumped back eyes wide. Just who was this strange man? Then again she only seemed to meet strange people these days. He put down his ramen and clapped his hands together.

"You can start tomorrow at 7am I'll tell you what I want you to do and give you a tour of the building." She looked around, there was only 1 room. "See you tomorrow Tsuna-chan!"

Startled she began waving her hands around. "W-wait a second, don't you even want to know what skills I have and what I can do. I don't even know your name."

He stuck out a hand. "You just call me Mr Kawahira OK." Had he had a personality switch when she wasn't looking? He was so different from the scary man who had stared at her for ages. Well he was still slightly scary now only in a different way. "As for why I'm hiring you....I'm not sure." She nearly face palmed. He smiled at her expression.

"Actually there are 3 reasons why; one Sasagawa is a good kid and he recommended you, two there's something about you that is interesting and intrigues me and three...it's a secret." Her eyebrow twitched a little; how was she going to survive working for this guy. "If that's all your questions then I'll see you tomorrow at 7." He pushed her out the door as her mouth opened. "Bye." The door shut in her face.

She stood there, her mouth still open to ask a question, staring at the door. What on earth had Ryohei gotten her in to? She turned around to see him and Gokudera on the other side of the street. Seiing her he raised his hand and waved.

"OI Tsuna. Did it go EXTREMELY well?" Gokudera just sneered at him.

"Don't be stupid turf-head. What idiot wouldn't want to hire the boss?" He turned to her with a brilliant smile. "Isn't that right Juudaime-hime?" She rubbed the back of her head.

"Well he said I had the job, but I didn't ven get a chance to disagree or agree and he was a little odd." She didn't know how to explain what had just happened.

"Did he hurt you Juudaime-hime? I'll exterminate him for you." She shook her head quickly.

"No no. N-nothing like that he just didn't interview me like I thought he would. Still at leasts it a job and it's a tea shop right?" She directed the question at Ryohei.

"Yes. Mr Kawahira makes the best tea in town, at least that's what he says, (Of course he'd say that she thought) but he also sells EXTREMELY good herbal medicine. It's cheaper than the doctors and most people around here aren't that rich." She nodded and looked back at the shop, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. "AH I'm EXTREMELY late!" Ryohei yelled. Stunned by the volume of his voice, she'd thought she'd gotten used it, Tsuna covered her ears.

"My sister wanted me home by now. I'll see you tomorrow Tsuna, octopus head." With that he ran off ignoring Gokudera's angry yells behind him. Tsuna giggled slightly and then her eyes fell on the large clock-tower; it was nearly 4pm. She looked at Gokudera who was still scowling in the direction Ryohei had gone, he might have to go home too but was just staying with her to be polite.

"You can go home too if you want Gokudera." She said. The bomber's dark green eyes met hers with surprise.

"With all do respect Juudaime-hime I must stay with you to ensure your protection at all times." She was about to argue when a familiar weight settled on her head.

"R-Reborn! What are you doing here?" She'd known he was near. The dangerous baby jumped onto her shoulder and she turned her head only to see him dressed as a crow. "Why are you dressed like that?" He extended his arms. (wings?)

"No-good Tsuna, someone like me, whose life is in constant danger, must be a master of disguise."

"Are you sure it's not just that it makes it harder of me to see you?"

"That too."

"Don't just admit it." He looked unconcerned and she gave up trying to scold him "Anyway why are you here?".

"I wanted to see if you'd be able to get a job. Our food supply is running low."

"What would you have done if I hadn't?" Somehow she could already hear the clicking of the crossbow.

"Killed you." Was it strange that she had known that he would say that? Keeping her comment to herself she turned to a perplexed looking Gokudera and smiled slightly.

"Well if you don't want to go home would you mind (her face turned a little red) t-taking a w-walk ar-around with me. I want to have a look at the area." He straightened up military style.

"Yes Juudaime-hime." She looked away embarrassed and missed the hint of red on his cheeks. She looked at her shoulder only to find Reborn had disappeared. Her eyes scanned the sky but she couldn't see anything.

"L-let's go then." The pair walked off down the street, watched by a pair of dark eyes. Reborn stood on the roof observing his student speaking to the bomber. She was hesitant and slightly tense which only reinforced the idea that he had that she was scared. Scared of letting someone in. From what he'd learnt she'd never had any real friends at the castle only two strong mother figures: her own mother, Nana Sawada and the castle healer Nataleya Dubra. They had become her lifelines and had both been shattered; her mother had apparently abandoned her and Nataleya had died trying to save her. It was natural that she would act like this. He only hoped that Hayato and Ryohei could repair the damage done, if they made it worse he would cheerfully put a bullet in their heads. Though from what he'd seen both teens already wanted to protect her and be her friend. She already had a right hand man and Ryohei had potential. He had seen a couple of others who could also be good editions to the family but he'd have to wait and see.

He smirked slightly at the boys reaction to her request. If she wasn't too careful she'd soon have a league of admirers he chuckled imagining how the shy girl would react to that. However, it might cause infighting within the family so she'd have to deal with it soon.

His eyes turned to the tea house and narrowed. Kawahira; the name was familiar to him and he felt a strange presence; it wasn't malicious but it worried him for some reason. He'd have to do some research. The tiny hit-man jumped after his student unseen as she walked along the streets of Namimori.

Behind a curtain a man with a bowl of ramen in his hand smiled at the two teenagers. He set the bowl down and pushed a stone on the wall. A section of it moved back and he pushed the hidden door open. The room was nearly black. He moved forward and looked at a small miniature portrait on the wall.

"So the wheels of fate have finally started turning." He covered his ring with his hand. "Will the Vongola rise or fall?"

By the time she got back home it was nearly 6. Gokudera had insisted on walking her home and had glared at anyone that looked even remotely suspicious. She smiled as she opened the door; he had a good heart it was just hidden under layers of swearing and anger. She still wasn't used to his attitude towards her but she had enjoyed the afternoon. So her day hadn't gone too bad, despite the attempt on her life she had a job and hopefully a new friend..acquaintance? Stepping inside she took her shoes off; only to yell as the floor opened up beneath her and she fell down a trap door into darkness.

There was a long yell then a big splash. A couple of seconds later the word "Reborn!" echoed around the house causing said hitman to smile as he lounged on the bed. Sometimes you had to enjoy the small things in life.

Dinner was a similar affair to last night and after the dishes had been put away Tsuna managed to do some more cleaning. There was still a lot of junk upstairs but the living room and kitchen were at least liveable now. Although Reborn would never admit it he was impressed by her. He'd expected her to moan about money and ask the ninth for a better house but she hadn't made a word of protest about the building or cleaning it. If anything she seemed to enjoy it.

Tsuna was asleep when she jumped on the bed; the days events had sapped her energy and she hoped she would be too tired to dream.

She wasn't.

Her mind replayed the images of the attack. A storm of arrows. People crying and wailing in the night. A stench of blood and sweat overpowering everything. Weapons clashing and magic flashing everywhere. Demons rising from hell and her teacher laying still on the floor. An empty room. She tried it run from it, tried to block out the images, tried in vain to not hear the screams. She looked to her right and saw a blade coming straight for her neck. With a gasp she sat bolt upright. Her hand gripping the charm so hard that it would leave an imprint on her skin. She could feel tears in her eyes and she rubbed at them furiously. Her skin felt too tight and her lungs felt constricted. Forcing a deep breath she sat still and tried to regain some semblance of control over herself.

"It was just a dream." She repeated to herself, like a mantra. It was still dark outside the window but she needed to get some air. She slipped on a loose pair of trousers to go under the bed shirt and put on her shoes. Quietly, so as not to wake Reborn, she tiptoed downstairs. Entering the kitchen she saw the back door, in all the commotion yesterday she had forgotten to check what was out there, something in her told her to go have a look. The lock was old and clunky but she got it open without too much trouble and stepped outside.

It was a garden.

Or at least it had been a garden at one point. Without anyone to tend it Time had begun conquering it. Still, in the moonlight it looked beautiful. The grass was a pale green, that looked blue at night and swayed gently in the breeze. There were huge bushes and old flowerbeds dotted about that grew wild and untamed in all directions. A wall of vines covered part of the house and she could vaguely make out an old path going round it. Standing in the night air surrounded by the comforting smell and sight of plants Tsuna could feel the last of her terror begin to drain away. Her hands brushed the top of the thigh-high grass and she walked forward slightly. There was a snap of a twig underneath her foot and then a voice called out.

"Hey. Who's there?" She froze at the noise like a rabbit. From the back of the garden she could see a figure emerge. It was a boy about her age with spiky black hair and light brown eyes. What had her scared though was the sword she could see strapped around his back.

**AN: So sorry for the slow update I've been so busy and unfortunately will be busy for the next month or so. School exams gotta hate them. Anyway I have not abandoned this story and it will go on don't worry if I don't update for a while- I'm a frequent sufferer of writers block. 2 main things: 1) I've put up a second KHR story a collection of FemTsuna x any guy from Reborn! One-shots so please check it out. 2) I'm thinking of writing a second full length story, I've got 3 possible ideas on my profile so please check them out and tell me which one you like the sound of. THANK YOU guys for the support" Still unsure about the pairing and I'm sorry for leaving it on a cliffy. Hope you enjoyed this!**

**P.S. Thank you to Girl with a Golden Heart for convincing me to get my hands into gear and finish writing this chapter :)**


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